The Simple Life
by EverDreamer
Summary: When Hope asks Fang what it was like to live "the simple life" in Oerba, Fang recalls her past, growing up with Vanille and coming of age. This takes place before the game. FangxVanille. R&R. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue

The Simple Life

Prologue

Author's Note: I'm sort of just writing this story and seeing where it goes. Since I'm not sure where it's headed, I'm not sure if it will be AU. I'll try to avoid OOC as much as possible, but I'm pretty much writing my interpretation of the characters so bear with me if you can. I'd also like to note that I'm not great at writing the Australian accent, so I might not bother with that or it might be subtle. Oerba will probably be pretty AU, since we don't know much about it from the series.

***This story contains some minor spoilers!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

The six heroes had set up camp in a secluded clearing tucked away in the depths of the untamed emerald forests of Gran Pulse with nothing but padded sleeping mats as comfort and thin fabrics to keep them warm in the brisk night air. All but one of them gave the appearance of sleeping soundly amidst the chirps and buzzes from the forest that filled their ears. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils, but it was a comfort, a reminder of safety.

Fang kept watch from her perch on a rotten log. Her skin crawled from the cold, but there was no comfort.

A crack behind her caused her ears to prink, but she was not overly concerned by the presence of another, for she had heard the young boy tossing and turning for quite some time.

"Couldn't sleep?" Fang glanced over her shoulder at the young teenager, her look intense as her green eyes seemed to glow by the light of the stars.

Hope shook his head, shivering slightly as he sat on the log beside her. "There's too much noise."

Fang nodded as though to agree with him, though in truth she thought that forest was much quieter than she remembered, and was content to leave their conversation at that. Talking was not the best way to escape the notice of the beasts of the dangerous Gran Pulsian landscape.

"I miss home," Hope admitted quietly, speaking more to himself than to her.

Fang made a noise of agreement, not sure what he wanted from her.

"Do you miss yours?" He glanced expectantly at her.

Fang smiled in amusement as she stared into the distance, for she felt that the noise she had made had implied that just fine, but maybe he was a little bit thick.

"'Course, I do, but we're headed there now, aren't we?"

Hope nodded. "What was it like?"

"What was what like, kiddo?" Fang mumbled, still staring into the darkness of the forest, her ears strained to hear the breathing of the others—mostly one in particular.

"What was it like living here back then? You lived in a village, right? What was it like living a simpler life?" Hope just wanted to make conversation.

Fang laughed sardonically, smiling faintly at him. "You think living on Gran Pulse was simpler than living on Cocoon?"

Hope looked embarrassed, stuttering, "I j-just meant—well, they always say those are the simpler times. You know, without technology and stuff."

Fang scoffed as she looked out into the woods. "You've got it backwards, kiddo. Life on Gran Pulse was anything but simpler."

Still, her life on Gran Pulse had not been too bad. Her people had not been completely without technology, though the dazzling lights and television screens of Cocoon had been absent from her lands. She had never minded the lack of those things, though air conditioning and, more importantly, heat might have been nice.

"I'd rather not talk about the past, if you don't mind," Fang exclaimed suddenly.

Hope, still embarrassed that he had offended her, nodded as his features hardened with delicate understanding. He did not want to talk about his past either, because he was unsure that he could ever bring himself to truly accept that he would never again see his mother.

"I'm going back to sleep." Hope stood abruptly and brushed the dirt from his bottom.

Fang nodded absently and did not watch him return to lie down with the others. Instead she smiled ironically and stared through the trees, her eyes returning to the past, the _simpler days_, as Hope had named them.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Author's Note: In this story, the village is run by a council of elders and the Chief. The Head Elder is technically in charge of final decision making while the Chief is more in charge of protecting the village and spreading the word of the Elders. The orphanage is run by the head matron and several less powerful matrons.

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

"Chief Torren, how nice of you to visit," Matron Tania exclaimed lightly.

The youngest of the matrons was half-excited and half-awed by the presence of the most able-bodied man in the entire village. Torren had earned himself the title of Village Chief only five years prior by defeating the previous chief, Chief Alon, in a hunting contest. Nothing was more important to their people than the ability of the Chief to protect their people.

The tan-skinned man gave her a war-torn smile and bowed his head faintly. "May I meet with the Head Matron tonight?"

"Yes, of course."

Matron Tania took the chief's bearskin jacket and motioned him inside of the only slightly rundown wooden structure which was one of three small buildings that made up Oerba's orphanage.

"Head Matron is in her office," she explained gently. "Everyone else is sleeping, so I'll fetch the two of you some tea."

"Thank you, Tania." Chief Torren smiled warmly.

As the younger matron disappeared around the corner, Chief Torren showed himself to the Head Matron's office, smiling nostalgically. He himself had been raised by the older matrons, and he would not forget the way that Head Matron Solstice had fawned over him as a boy. He had been told that she had grown stricter and bitter in her old age, but he refused to believe such a thing.

Chief Torren knocked lightly on Head Matron's closed door and smiled laughingly when she grunted, "Oh, what is it now?"

"Just a visitor." His voice was gentle, playful.

He pushed the door open and Solstice looked up at him, her face lighting up in spite of the sardonic smile that she almost always wore.

"Torren, how nice to see you. Come in. Did one of the other matrons let you in?"

"Yes, Tania let me in." He seated himself across the desk from her and smiled warmly. "She said she would bring us some tea."

"Ah, yes, Tania." Head Matron smiled wistfully. "I doubt she'll be here long."

"She doesn't do well with the children?" Chief Torren offered a look of concern.

"No, it's nothing like that." Head Matron Solstice laughed wryly and waved her hand dismissively. "With looks like hers, I imagine a girl her age will be swept away from us quite soon. Little Dustan already has his eye on her."

"One of the orphanage boys?" Chief Torren looked confused.

"Anima, no," Head Matron Solstice chuckled. "I guess I didn't do a good job raising you after all. You are daft, boy."

"I apologize, Head Matron," the chief replied teasingly.

Solstice waved her hand again, smiling faintly. "I was speaking of Kuna Dunstan. You grew up with him, I think. I know that he isn't a little boy anymore, but he will _always_ be little Dunstan to me."

"Oh, _that_ Dunstan." Chief Torren laughed lightly.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the two of them and Matron Tania entered quietly with a steaming pot of tea and two wooden cups.

"You're lucky I have an extra cup, Tania." Head Matron Solstice smiled thinly. "Otherwise you wouldn't be able to join us, now would you? Perhaps that was your plan. Didn't want to have a conversation with boring old Head Matron did you? I'll have you know I was your age once."

"Quite a long time ago," Chief Torren pointed out with a teasing grin.

"Oh, hush." Solstice laughed heartily. "Come now, Tania, do you really not wish to join us?"

"I simply did not want to be rude, Head Matron." Tania lowered her eyes, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I apologize. It seems that I was rude anyway."

"Nonsense. Take the tea cup off the shelf and join us."

Tania nodded obediently and fetched the tea cup before seating herself on a small wooden chair beside the Village Chief. Her flush only darkened when he looked upon her, for although he was quite a bit older than herself, he was very attractive.

She poured the tea with shaking hands.

Chief Torren took a sip of his tea and assured the nervous-looking younger matron that it was delicious before turning to the Head Matron to ask how the orphanage had fared since he had last visited. He was unable to drop by his old home very often now that he had the responsibilities of fatherhood and those of the Village Chief on his plate.

Head Matron Solstice had barely opened her mouth to answer when suddenly a large crash resounded on the other side of the building followed by a shout.

"Fang!"

"I'll go check the children," Tania murmured with a sigh as she stood.

Suddenly they each heard Matron Essle shouting, "Oerba Yun Fang, you apologize immediately and return to bed this instant!"

Tania retook her seat, looking concerned. "I don't know what to do with that girl."

"Yun Fang?" Chief Torren furrowed his brows, for the name sounded familiar. "Is she a troublemaker?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Tania smiled wryly. "She's quite a handful, that girl. She's barely a teenager, but we can hardly control her."

"The both of them are trouble now." Head Matron Solstice sipped her tea.

"Oh, don't say that." Tania pouted. "Little Vanille's a good girl."

"Not anymore, I'm afraid. Not after Fang's influence," Solstice insisted with a huff. "She _was_ a good girl when she first arrived here, but it was a mistake to ask Fang to bunk with her when the other girls said that she kicked in her sleep. I knew Fang would be able to take the kicks because she's such a strong girl, but I did not realize that she would corrupt little Vanille."

"I don't think Vanille would play any pranks on her own. Fang is the one who encourages her," Tania insisted stubbornly. "Vanille is just a sweet little girl. It's Fang's fault."

"Certainly," Head Matron agreed.

Chief Torren remained silent as he listened to the two of them. He knew very little about most of the orphans, but he did think that he had heard of Yun Fang. During the festivals of the previous year, the elders had been all abuzz because a girl child had played a prank on the head Elder. Chief Torren had thought that the trick was lighthearted, though slightly cruel, but the others had not been amused.

If it truly had been Fang, she would probably never be respected.

"Maybe we should separate the two of them now before it's too late for Vanille," Tania suggested half-desperately, for she had always had a soft spot for the adorable pink-haired girl who had wandered tearfully into the orphanage less than two years older.

"Oh, that won't do any good." Head Matron shook her head. "No, I suspect that the two girls are already quite taken with each other."

Chief Torren choked on his tea and his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Are you all right?" Solstice gave him a curious look.

He nodded. "I just swallowed too soon."

Head Matron frowned suspiciously before continuing. "Even if we attempted to separate them, they are inseparable by now and would find ways to spend time together. They are destined to be the very best of friends no matter what, I'd say."

"Oh." Chief Torren chuckled lightly at his own misconception. "I see."

"Still, I don't know _what_ we're going to do with them."

Tania looked away, for she wished that the Head Matron would allow her to _rescue_ little Vanille.

"It seems that thinking of the two of them taxes you, Solstice." Chief Torren laughed softly. "Tell me what else has happened in my absence."

xxx

Fang sneaked into the room that she shared with several other girls and closed the door behind her. Standing alone in the darkness, she waited until her eyes adjusted before she slipped silently across the room, avoiding the two bunk beds that did not belong to her and climbing onto the bottom bunk of the third bed. Each room was normally inhabited by twelve girls, two to every bed.

Pulling the covers back slowly in hopes of not disturbing her bunkmate and best friend, Fang slipped into the bed and lay on her back, staring at the bottom of the bunk above her head and sighing in relief. Matron Essle had looked ready to throw her out of the orphanage once and for all, so it was nice that she had only been given cleaning duty for the next week and a half.

Vanille shifted, turning on her side to face her, and whispered with an excited grin, "What'd you do now, Fang?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," Fang replied with a faint smile, turning to face her as well.

"But I wanna know what you did," Vanille protested with a pout.

Fang chuckled wryly, "I played a prank on Konnor, now go back to sleep."

"What kind of prank?" Vanille inquired, her voice bubbly.

"It's a secret," Fang replied with a giggle. "I can't go around telling my secrets to little kids."

Vanille gasped, looking insulted. "I'm not a little kid."

"Sure you are," Fang insisted, ducking out of the other girl's reach so that her tiny fist could not hit her. "All the grownups call you _little Vanille_."

Pouting as tears welled up in her eyes, Vanille turned away from her. "You're mean!"

Fang smirked faintly and reached out to pat her shoulder. "Don't worry, little Vanille. You'll grow up eventually, though I doubt you'll ever get big, shorty."

Vanille wiped her eyes and stuck out her bottom lip. "I'm not _that_ little."

Laughing again, she huddled closer to the younger girl for warmth. Unbeknownst to Fang, as her body pressed closer to Vanille's the eleven year old's face burned red.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Author's Note: This is the actual chapter 2. I accidentally posted chapter 3 here. This is the second half of the year where they're 11 and 13. Sorry for the mix up guys!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

"That was a nasty trick you played on me last night," Konnor grumbled as he came up to Fang the next morning.

Smirking, Fang teased, "Yeah, but it was funny."

"I guess." Konnor chuckled wryly.

Fang and Konnor had been friends from the time when they were very young, since the two of them had entered the orphanage at around the same time. Although they always played pranks on each other and the matrons thought that they had some kind of rivalry, they were pretty good friends.

"I'll get you back, you know," Konnor assured her with a grin.

"Looking forward to it," Fang informed him with a serious but amused look before she stood and, without warning, raced across the clearing between the three small orphanage buildings and disappeared between two of them to enter the rest of the village.

Konnor watched her go with a look of surprise before rolling his eyes.

Fang crossed the village as quickly as she could, ignoring the bustling people, mostly women, racing all around her toward the small stands in the market. While talking to Konnor, she had suddenly remembered that Vanille had told her that morning that she was going to pick flowers on the edge of the village. Fang never liked when the other girl left the village, for she was far too little to defend herself. It was bad enough that eventually Vanille would be expected to join a hunting party. Everyone had to hunt at least once in their life if for nothing more than the experience. Fang was aware that it would not happen until Vanille was fifteen, which was a long ways away, but she still worried about her.

Running as quickly as her legs would carry her to the western part of the village, Fang ignored the cries of Matron Essle, who had been shopping for supplies that morning, as the woman demanded to know where she was going. After all, she was on cleaning duty in only a few hours. Fang didn't mind skipping out on her responsibilities at least for a while when her younger friend was concerned.

Fang slowed to a calmer gait when she spotted Vanille in the long, treeless fields directly outside the village. She could not allow the other girl to realize that she was so worried about her, since she could only imagine that the eleven year old would tease her relentlessly. Occasionally she agreed with the matrons when they told her that she was a bad influence on the younger girl.

"Fang!" Vanille chirped excitedly from across the long clearing.

The pink-haired girl immediately skipped toward her, her curly pigtails bouncing as she came toward her with a bouquet of white and red flowers clutched tightly between her fingers.

"What're you doing here?" Vanille inquired innocently.

Fang shrugged nonchalantly. "Looking for you. What're you doing so far from the village?"

"I told you I was going to pick flowers," Vanille pointed out.

"I forgot," Fang lied.

Giggling, Vanille gave her a knowing look and skipped back across the clearing. "Did you get in trouble this morning?"

Fang shrugged, smirking faintly. "I'm always in trouble."

"Matron Essle was looking for you," Vanille pointed out as she leaned into a flower patch to pick the only red flower in a sea of white.

When she noticed that Vanille was unable to reach the gorgeous flower, Fang appeared at her side and leaned into the flowers to pick it for her.

"Thanks!" Vanille chirped with a grin.

"Who says I picked it for you?" Fang demanded with a grin before tucking the flower behind her own ear and jumping a few paces away.

"Faaang!" Vanille pouted.

Laughing, Fang scurried up the nearest tree and sat on one of the branches, glancing out over the fields with a lazy smile on her face. Although she knew that Matron Essle would be furious that she had not shown up for cleaning duty, she would not leave Vanille there alone.

"Fang, that's not fair," Vanille cried from the bottom of the tree. "I'm not tall enough to reach the highest branch."

"It's because you're such a little kid," Fang teased, her eyes still traveling the distance of the fields until they reached the horizon.

She couldn't wait until the first time that she was allowed to hunt, because she adored the idea of traveling. It was an unusual dream for a girl, but she would be neither the first nor the last girl to wish to be a hunter. She could not imagine anyone protesting, especially because she had no parents to fuss about it.

"Am not," Vanille huffed as she moved across the field to begin picking other flowers and add them to her bouquet.

"What d'you need all those flowers for anyway?" Fang inquired curiously, tilting her head. "Are they for some boy? 'Cause boys don't like flowers."

Vanille blushed. "Why would I pick flowers for a boy? I'm going to make a wreath for the party tomorrow."

Fang wrinkled her nose. "You're making your own? The matrons wanted everyone's to look the same."

"They're gonna make you wear one, you know," Vanille pointed out with a giggle.

Rolling her eyes, Fang grumbled, "Not if I can help it."

"You'll be the only girl not wearing one."

"Who cares?" Fang leaned against the trunk of the tree and sighed nostalgically as she thought about the last village festival. "I'll tell them I'm allergic."

Vanille smiled faintly and began to hum to herself as she skipped around the field.

Fang tilted her head and watched the younger girl curiously, a small smile gracing her lips. She thought it was a little strange to spend time with Vanille, since she usually only cared to spend time with the village boys. Although she did not consider herself wholly a tomboy, since she had no problem with skirts or dresses, she hated spending time with the girls because they made fun of her. The boys did as well, but at least with them it was lighthearted. Most of them had grown up friends with her, so they were not cruel. She also enjoyed playing their sports and play fighting with them, something she doubted she would ever do with Vanille. However, in spite of their almost completely opposite hobbies, she did not mind spending time with the always happy younger girl.

She also felt a little bad because Vanille had only been at the orphanage a few years and had not really made many friends. Everyone liked her, but no one got close to her. Fang was unsure why, but she was determined not to let the other girl spend most of her time alone.

"I'm leaving soon," Vanille called up suddenly. "I have enough flowers."

Fang nodded and jumped down from the tree without any regard for her own safety. She landed like a cat and followed the other girl as she wandered back toward the village.

"Vanille," Fang called out when they were close to the village.

Turning back around, the pink-haired girl tilted her head and sent her a questioning look.

Fang plucked the red flower out of her hair and tucked it behind Vanille's ear.

When Vanille beamed happily, Fang shrugged nonchalantly and walked past her mumbling, "It clashes with your hair."

Vanille pouted at that, but she got over it quickly as she skipped in front of the older girl.

When they finally reached the orphanage, Vanille giggled openly as she stood by the door listening to Matron Essle lecture Fang about skipping her punishment and then watched her drag the other girl away by the ear. Trying to shrug her off, the dark-haired girl groaned as she realized that the matron would make her do her cleaning duty right then.

"See you at dinner, Fang!" Vanille shouted gleefully after them.

Fang ignored her, causing the younger girl to laugh again.

xxx

The spring festival was always gorgeous. As usual, the village was decorated with freshly picked flowers. Strings of petals dangled from all the storefronts and buildings and candles were lit to honor the gods. The girls wore pretty dresses and wreaths in their hair and the boys wore one flower pinned to the front of their best outfits. Flower arrangements decorated every window and garlands hung around doorframes.

Fang felt uncomfortable in the dress that the matrons forced her to wear. She would have preferred to wear one of her own choosing, for she preferred sari wraps to what the other girls wore. In spite of that, Head Matron Solstice herself had made such a fuss that the dark-haired girl had not wanted to fight with them. Besides, any trouble she caused would detract from the prank that she planned to play later.

Vanille skipped at her side, her hair bouncing everywhere as the wreath in her hair threatened to fall several times. Whenever it was lopsided, Vanille would straighten it out with a giggle and then race to the nearest vender and smell the delicious treats that they had baked. Sweets were rare and generally reserved for holidays due to the lack of available baking supplies, so the younger girl was sure to make doe eyes at every vender until they agreed to give her a little piece of everything for free.

"I'll give you some if you promise not to share it with that scoundrel!"

Those were the words of nearly every vender when they presented Vanille with a sample of their most expensive treat.

Giggling, Vanille pretended to agree and refrained from eating her treats until she and Fang were seated beneath a large wild tree on the outskirts of town.

"I'm having so much fun," Vanille chirped as she took a bit of a doughy treat sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Fang smiled faintly as she glanced out at the bustling village. The way that everyone skipped excitedly around with their families should have made her jealous, but in truth she could not remember her parents well. They had died when she was quite young.

"Are you having fun?" Vanille inquired when she did not answer her.

"Sure," Fang replied easily.

"Do you want another piece?" Vanille held out one of her treats to her.

Fang shook her head and stood up suddenly, brushing herself off.

"Where're you going?" Vanille pouted.

"Nowhere," Fang replied with a wink, laughing when Vanille's face lit up. "I'll be back."

With that she raced back into the town, disappearing from view.

Shrugging to herself, Vanille continued nibbling on her treats and looked to the clearings to the west with a wistful smile on her face. She loved spring because when the flowers were in bloom she could wander for what felt like days through the fields without tiring. There was little that she enjoyed more than picking flowers and weaving them into hairpieces or braiding them into her hair.

The best part was that the other girls at the orphanage had begun to notice her talents and asked her to help them make their own wreaths or asked her to do their hair. It was nice to have friends who shared her interests, not that anyone could ever replace Fang.

Speaking of the dark-haired troublemaker, she came meandering back over to their tree with a skip in her step and plopped down beside her.

"Where'd you go?" Vanille asked innocently.

"Nowhere," Fang replied with a cheeky grin.

"You didn't play another prank, did you?" Vanille gave her a suspicious look.

"'Course not." Fang chuckled to herself.

"You did!" Vanille gasped. "Fang, last time Matron Tania said she wasn't going to let us bunk together anymore if you played one more prank."

"She's not serious," Fang replied immediately. "There're no free beds."

"She said she would make you sleep outside," Vanille pointed out with a nervous pout. "I don't want to sleep alone. I have nightmares."

"No one's making you sleep alone," Fang assured her with a serious look as she leaned back against the tree. Smiling faintly, she mumbled, "Besides, they can't prove it was me."

"Why not?" Vanille looked confused. "What'd you do?"

"Konnor and some of the other boys helped me, that's why not," Fang replied with a smirk. "We put a potion in the Head Elder's drink. It'll make him have to go to the outhouse—a _lot_."

Vanille's eyes widened. "Fang, he'll know it was you. That's what you did last year."

"He won't be able to _prove_ it was me though," Fang insisted with a playful grin as she stood up again. "Now, come on. We're missing the party."

xxx

Fang was surprised when Vanille sat with some of the other girls that they roomed with at the party, but she didn't mind leaving the other girl alone with them. Vanille had wanted her to join, but she just couldn't stand to talk about flowers and making their own jewelry for the entire party. She found herself leaving to play ball with the boys and then she and Konnor got into even more mischief, though that time they were caught and the Head Matron made them sit in the corner together and wouldn't let them eat for the entire party.

Halfway through the party Fang caught Vanille's eye and noticed the girl wrapping some food in a napkin and slipping it into her pack. Grinning, Fang glanced away just in time to meet eyes with the Head Matron. By the time Solstice turned her attention to the tables, Vanille had disappeared.

"I'm _so_ hungry," Konnor groaned. "Do you think they'll at least let us eat when we get back?"

"I don't know," Fang replied with a dismissive shrug.

"Aren't you hungry?" Konnor looked perplexed.

Fang shook her head. "I'll be fine. Vanille's got something for me."

"Oh, right." Konnor rolled his eyes and chuckled. "She's like your little puppy."

Fang narrowed her eyes and punched him in the arm. "Don't call her that."

"Sensitive," he grumbled, rubbing his arm and pouting.

Eventually Matron Tania took sympathy on the two of them and at least allowed them to have some dessert. She then told them to go enjoy the rest of the party.

Fang sat around by herself while some of the others danced. Even Vanille danced, though mostly with the other girls her age. They were all too shy to approach any of the older boys and the boys their age weren't interested yet. Fang was positive that none of them were even attending the dance and figured she would find them trying to catch frogs by the river. Her eyes followed Konnor curiously as he danced with the blacksmith's pretty daughter Alli.

"You should go dance with someone," Matron Tania murmured smilingly as she slipped onto the bench beside her. "Are there any special boys out there?"

Fang practically ignored her, her eyes finding Vanille again.

"Who are you watching so intently?" Matron Tania teased, attempting to make conversation.

Fang rolled her eyes. "Why aren't _you_ dancing?"

"No one has asked me," Matron Tania replied with a faint frown. Cheering up again, she insisted, "You have to take advantage, Fang. Girls your age can ask boys to dance. By the time you're my age it looks silly."

Fang scoffed. "I'm friends with all of them. It would be weird."

Matron Tania looked like she would reply, but Kuna Dunstan appeared to ask her to dance and she blushed as she nodded in assent.

Fang watched them for a while with a frown on her face before turning her attention back to Vanille. She was surprised to find the girl nowhere to be seen. In seconds she would have been out of her seat to look for the smaller girl, but Vanille suddenly appeared at her side with a smile on her face.

"Did Matron Tania yell at you?" Vanille smiled innocently.

"She told me to stop playing pranks," Fang lied easily.

Vanille giggled. "Like you'd listen."

Fang chuckled and stood from the bench, grabbing Vanille's hand and dragging her away. "Let's go for a walk. I'm hungry."

Vanille laughed again as she skipped after her, her fingers curling around Fang's as her face lit up.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

*****IMPORTANT AN**: So, to those who are already reading this story, I accidentally posted this chapter as chapter 2 before, but it's actually chapter 3. So, if you want to read the new chapter, read chapter 2. Sorry for the confusion!

Author's Note: This takes place around a year after the last chapter. I think that I will write this so there are approximately two chapters for every year of their lives.

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Vanille pulled her thick covers more tightly around herself and shivered, wishing that she had more blankets to keep her warm—or Fang. The older girl had played another prank, and over the past year her pranks had gotten so much bigger that although she had become a hero to most of the orphans, the matrons were talking about sending her to stay with a family that had offered to 'straighten her out' and 'teach her responsibility.' Fang, now fourteen, was getting a little bit old for her antics, as far as everyone was concerned. The prank that she had pulled at dinner that night had gained her the punishment of cleaning out the basement before bed.

In truth, Vanille was a bit nervous that Fang had not yet returned. It was well after dark and quite cold. Although it did not snow where they lived, the winter seasons were still freezing and Vanille worried that Fang would be too cold in her usual sari as she crossed the clearing between the three buildings of the orphanage when she was finished with her task and had to return to bed.

Just as she was ready to climb out of bed into the frigid air and bring something warm to her friend, the door creaked quietly open and she let out a sigh of relief.

Fang crossed the room quietly like usual and slipped into the bed with a weary sigh.

"Was the basement gross?" Vanille whispered without turning to her.

Shrugging indifferently, Fang slid closer to her. Vanille let out a gasp of surprise when Fang's freezing skin touched hers.

"Sorry," Fang whispered apologetically, "but it was _really_ cold outside."

Vanille giggled, though her teeth began to chatter as she turned over and pulled the covers more tightly around the two of them. "You should've worn some furs."

Fang wrinkled her nose. "It wasn't cold earlier, now go back to sleep."

"I wasn't sleeping," Vanille informed her, sticking her chin in the air before turning over.

Narrowing her eyes playfully, Fang reached out and tickled Vanille's sides, causing the younger girl to let out a peel of giggles before her face turned red with embarrassment and she covered her mouth. The other girls stirred but did not awaken.

"Fang!" Vanille hissed in mock anger.

"What?" Fang inquired innocently as she slid closer to her again, her front pressing against the younger girl's back.

Vanille leaned back against her with a relaxed sigh. Now that Fang was beginning to warm up, the bed was much more comfortable and the heat of the other girl always kept her warmer than the blankets.

"Did you miss me?" Fang teased playfully.

Vanille blushed in the darkness and shook her head. "No. It was nice to have the whole bed."

"Maybe I should go then?" Fang suggested with an evil grin.

"No!" Vanille replied, panicked. "You promised you wouldn't make me sleep alone."

Laughing in her ear, Fang pressed closer to her and assured her sleepily, "No one's making you sleep alone. Besides, there're no free beds. Otherwise I think Matron Tania would've made them save you from me by now. They think I'm making you a troublemaker."

Vanille giggled melodically. "I'm a good girl, not like you."

Fang smiled at that, closing her eyes, and the two of them lay together in silence for a long time, shivering from the cold every once in a while. Eventually both girls fell asleep cuddled close.

xxx

"That's the last straw, Oerba Yun Fang!" Matron Essle screamed furiously as she ran into the clearing to pull apart the two fighting teenagers. "And Oerba Song Don, I expected better from you."

She grabbed the two of them by the collars and dragged them out of the play yard.

"Wait," Vanille called after her, chasing the three of them.

"Stay out here with the other children, Vanille, or you'll be in trouble, too," Matron Essle warned her with a serious look.

"It's okay, Vanille," Fang called reassuringly. "Stay here."

Vanille bit her lip and frowned but obeyed, sitting by the fountain and ignoring the other children as they whispered that Fang was going to get it. It had not been the older girl's fault, but no one seemed to know or care about what had actually happened.

"Don, go to your room and stay there. You'll get no dinner tonight," Matron Essle grumbled, casting him a warning look. "I'll keep an eye on your friends tonight. If anyone brings you food, you won't go hunting until next year."

"That's not fair!" Don whined.

"When rules get broken, punishment is necessary," Matron Essle snapped before letting go of his collar and nodding her head toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

Don's shoulders fell and he cast a glare at Fang before skulking into the darkness of the hallway.

"How come he gets off with no dinner?" Fang grumbled with a frown.

"_He_ doesn't make a habit of breaking the rules," Matron Essle replied tartly.

Fang remained silent as the matron dragged her toward the Head Matron's office. She attempted to figure out how they would punish her, since she knew that her pranks that year had gotten a bit out of hand and they had begun to think of her less as a troubled child and more as a dangerous one. Perhaps it was time to tone down her fun a bit, though it was a little too late to do anything about what had happened that way.

It wasn't her fault, but she doubted they would believe her.

Matron Essle knocked roughly on the Head Matron's door and when the woman told her to come in, she practically threw Fang into the room.

"She was fighting again, this time with the Song boy," Matron Essle explained immediately.

Head Matron Solstice furrowed her brows and motioned for the two of them to sit.

"This is very serious, Fang," the Head Matron exclaimed, a crease forming along her brow. Turning her attention to Matron Essle, Solstice exclaimed, "Song Don has always been a very respectful boy. He never breaks the rules. I can't imagine him fighting."

"I know," Matron Essle let out a weary sigh.

"He's not a respectful boy," Fang snapped, crossing her arms stubbornly. "He pushed Vanille. He had it coming."

"I can't imagine him doing that," Matron Essle argued.

Fang glared hotly at her. "I don't just fight people for no reason and I'm not a liar. I always admit it when I play pranks."

The head matron seemed to consider that.

"I'll have a talk with the boy, but this fighting has to stop, Fang. If someone pushes Vanille or anyone else, tell one of the matrons. Don't take matters into your own hands," the head matron exclaimed gravely. "If you continue to behave the way that you have lately, you'll have to leave the orphanage."

Fang glared at the ground. "I just play harmless pranks."

Looking furious, Matron Tania snarled, "They are _not_ harmless. You poisoned Konnor."

"He didn't get mad, did he?" Fang argued. "Besides, he got me back."

Matron Essle pursed her lips.

"Essle, why don't you leave us? You have to look after the children who are still outside anyway."

Matron Essle frowned at the head matron, but she could not argue so she bowed her head and left.

"Fang, I'm not kidding. This behavior has to stop," Head Matron Solstice warned her with a frown. "I've always had a soft spot for you, but I can't let this behavior continue. Your pranks used to be harmless, but this year they've been malicious. What you did to little Henri was terrible, and all because he crushed some flowers."

"Vanille had been picking them all day," Fang pointed out. "Her hands were bleeding."

"I'm sensing a trend here," the head matron replied with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "The point is that this has to stop. Go back to the old pranks that you were playing or, better yet, stop altogether. You won't get any dinner tonight, and if Vanille is caught sneaking you something again we're going to switch you out of her room."

"You better tell her that," Fang grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting. "Otherwise she won't know not to bring me anything when she doesn't see me at dinner."

Her comment was so honest that the head matron chose not to scold her.

"He really did push her, you know," Fang mumbled with a stubborn look on her face. "He pushed her onto the stones in the garden because the girl he likes doesn't like Vanille. She scraped her hands and knees."

"I'll get Matron Kalli to look after her." Head Matron Solstice eyed her curiously. "I think you should spend the rest of the evening in your room as a punishment."

"I don't see how I did anything wrong." Fang gritted her teeth. "Why is it fine for him to push her but it's not okay for me to hit him?"

"Neither is all right. Vanille never lies, so if she says that he hurt her, he'll be punished," Head Matron Solstice assured her.

Fang felt comforted by that, because Vanille would probably tell them the truth hoping that she would not be punished.

"Now, go to your room. I don't expect to see you until tomorrow."

Hastily she stood and left.

xxx

Fang was lying on the bed staring at the bunk above her head in the darkness when the door slipped open and then lightly closed again. She already expected her pink-haired friend before the girl climbed into the bed with her.

"You have a black eye," Vanille whispered tearfully as she crawled beside her.

"No, I don't," Fang argued even though she did. "What's wrong?"

Vanille ignored her and cuddled against her, savoring a few seconds alone with her where they could talk without whispering. Usually the other girls were asleep in their beds.

Fang wrapped her arm around the smaller girl and sighed, glancing up at the bunk above their head and narrowing her eyes as she thought about the way that Don had so cruelly shoved Vanille.

"Are your hands and knees okay?"

Vanille nodded into her shoulder and clung to her. "I know the matrons said it was bad, but thanks. His girlfriend was crying, so I think they both got in trouble."

"I got in trouble too though," Fang replied with a sigh.

"I'm sorry!" Vanille squeaked.

Fang scoffed. "It's Don's fault. I wish Matron Essle had broken us up a minute later. I would've broken his jaw."

Vanille remained silent, her face turning red as she realized how close the two of them were. Her cheek was pressed into Fang's shoulder and the older girl's arm was wrapped around her. They usually cuddled when they slept, but when they were not sleeping they usually did not get so close to each other.

"I wanted to sneak you some food but the head matron was watching me all night," Vanille murmured nervously, trying to distract herself from the situation.

Fang shrugged indifferently. "I'm not that hungry. I had a big lunch."

The door began to open and Vanille pulled quickly away with the excuse that she had to change into her pajamas.

Fang stood to change as well and then crawled back into the bed. The air in their room was frigid, so it was nice to return to covers that were already warmed. She listened to the quiet conversation between Vanille and one of their roommates, Aria, with interest.

"I have a date tomorrow afternoon," Aria chirped.

"A date?" Vanille inquired innocently.

"Yes," Aria nodded excitedly. "Ang is taking me to a special spot in the woods. He says that's where he found the flowers that I showed you."

"Ooh!" Vanille squealed excitedly. "The blue ones with the yellow center?"

Aria nodded enthusiastically, swooning, "I'm so excited. He said that he had gotten a present for me. Matron Tania said that that's how boys act when they're looking for more than just silly kisses."

"I'm so happy for you," Vanille chirped, taking her hands into her own. "Do you think the two of you will get married?"

Aria blushed bright red. "I don't know. Maybe."

Vanille giggled. "You're turning red!"

"Well, what about you?" Aria demanded, mostly to distract the attention from herself. "You haven't even had your first kiss yet, have you?"

Her eyes widening, Vanille shook her head.

"Well, why not?" Aria raised her brows. "I thought that boy Baron liked you."

Across the room, Fang raised her brows and stared at the wall. She pretended that she was asleep because she was interested in hearing the answer.

Vanille laughed softly. "Baron is so gross!"

In the darkness, a small smile crossed Fang's lips.

"Sometimes I forget you're only twelve," Aria murmured with a giggle.

"Are you calling me little?" Vanille growled, narrowing her eyes. "Because I'm _not_ a kid. Everyone says I am, but I'm not."

Aria chuckled lightly and patted her shoulder. "It's not that weird that you haven't had your first kiss yet. _Fang_, on the other hand—now, that's a little weird."

Fang felt her cheeks burn and narrowed her eyes, mentally adding Aria to the list of people who she didn't like. She didn't usually hit other girls, since she had yet to meet one who could take it like she could, but she would put something nasty in her food.

"I guess no boy has ever liked her," Aria added pensively.

"Shh, Fang's right there," Vanille whispered.

Aria covered her mouth, looking horrified. "Do you think she's sleeping?"

"Probably," Vanille lied, for she knew that Fang rarely fell asleep so quickly.

Looking relieved, Aria finished changing and climbed onto the top bunk on the other side of the room. None of the other girls had returned yet, but it was well past dark and curfew was soon.

Vanille crawled into the bed she had shared with her best friend for several years. Even though Fang did not make it clear whether or not she had heard the previous conversation, Vanille wrapped her arms around her waist and cuddled against her.

"Don't worry, Fang. I don't think it's weird."

Internally, Fang wondered what Aria would think if she knew that Fang actually had had her first kiss. She had only ever had one kiss, though it wasn't the kind of kiss that Aria had probably had. It had been more of a joke than anything, a dare. Amusingly and coincidentally she had kissed Aria's older sister Enna on a bet from Konnor. He hadn't known that Enna was in on it. The two of them split the jewels that he had bet Fang and sold them, keeping the money for their own purposes.

Turning over to face her, Fang raised her brow curiously. "You never told me Baron liked you."

"I thought you'd hit him," Vanille admitted hesitantly.

Fang gave her a curious look. "Why?"

"I dunno," Vanille replied with furrowed brows. "You hit Tom a lot."

"Dellion Tom?" Fang cocked a brow in confusion. "What d'you mean?"

"He was always teasing me," Vanille replied with a faint smile. "He liked me, and you would always hit him."

"He liked you?" Fang looked perplexed. "Vanille, he was always mean to you."

"That's how I know he liked me," Vanille giggled.

Fang furrowed her brows for a moment before shrugging. "Well, he was mean to you, so he deserved to get hit."

Vanille giggled again at that and snuggled closer to Fang. "Does it bother you that no boys ever ask you out?"

Fang rolled her eyes. "I don't know what the big deal is. I'd probably hit them anyway."

Vanille laughed softly, though her smile faded as she began to shiver. "We need more blankets."

"They don't have any more." Fang smiled and poked her in the side, teasing, "We already get twice the blankets everyone else has because you're so cold. Head Matron said you should just wear warmer pajamas."

Vanille blushed and chose not to respond as she snuggled close to Fang, pressing against her side. She wanted Fang to wrap her arm around her again like she had earlier, because she had never done so before and it had felt nice. However, she thought that would be a strange request so she kept quiet. She was a little disappointed when Fang simply lay beside her.

"Do you think you'll get married?" Vanille asked suddenly.

Fang raised her brows, surprised by the sudden question. "Will _you_?"

"I'm only twelve," Vanille gasped.

"Well, I'm only fourteen," Fang grumbled.

"You're closer than me," Vanille pointed out, sticking her nose in the air. "Besides, you're always acting like an adult and calling me a kid so you're the only one who has to answer."

Chuckling, Fang turned away from her with a shrug. "Go to sleep."

"But you didn't answer," Vanille replied with a pout.

Her friend ignored her, so eventually Vanille gave up and turned away so that she was facing the dark room. She was a little nervous, since she thought Fang was mad at her, but she felt better when Fang eventually turned over and pressed against her like she usually did.

Fang watched Vanille in the darkness for a long time until her breathing evened out. Frowning faintly, she reached out and ran her fingers through Vanille's hair, tucking the locks behind her ear. Her breath hitched in her throat when Vanille shifted and she retracted her hand quickly.

Vanille stirred but did not awaken. In her sleep she turned over and snuggled against Fang, causing a faint but warm smile to grow on the older girl's face.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Author's Note: Here's another chapter. I hope you like it! Thanks to everyone who has been leaving reviews. I'm glad that someone likes this story. :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

The village was abuzz with news of the latest crisis involving the vipers in the sky. The Cocoon fal'Cie had struck again, tearing up more of their forest and stealing the few resources that remained in that area. The matrons tried to keep the children from hearing about it, lest they fear starvation and other possibilities that hopefully were not yet a concern. However, it was impossible for anyone to enter town without hearing about it, and there were just not enough matrons to keep everyone inside. The older children were, as always, quite difficult to tame. Thus, within hours everyone knew what was going on.

"It's revolting." Fang clenched her fist and glanced at Konnor. "We're supposed to be safe here, but Anima does nothing! The vipers from Cocoon just come and take whatever they want from us and no one does a damn thing about it."

"Shh!" Konnor glanced nervously around the dinner table. "Fang, you can't talk like that. What if one of the matrons hears you? Besides, Anima protects our village and cares for us all the time. We get _everything_ we need from Anima."

Fang scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, everything except protection from the damn Cocoon fal'Cie.

"What are you talking about?" Vanille suddenly appeared beside Fang, sliding into the seat next to her with a curious look.

"Nothing." Fang's reply was hasty as she forced a smile. "How was your day?"

Vanille, looking annoyed, insisted, "Don't lie to me because you still think I'm too much of a kid. There are orphans a lot younger than me who know what's going on with the Cocoon fal'Cie, so I don't deserve to have it kept from me."

"If you knew what we were talking about, then why ask?" Fang replied with a sigh.

Vanille offered a faint smile. "Anyway, even though I don't want you to stop just because I got here, we probably shouldn't talk about this. The matrons said not to, and if you get in trouble again, they won't let us sleep together anymore."

Konnor snorted, causing Fang to glare at him.

Vanille's eyes widened innocently. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," Fang replied hastily, punching Konnor in the arm. "He's just choked on his food, that's all."

"Right." Konnor still looked amused. "Anyway, Vanille's right, Fang. We don't want the matrons to stop you two from..._sleeping together_."

Fang sent him another warning look, but she could not help but smile when Vanille nodded in sincere agreement, still not understanding that he was teasing them.

"The main reason I don't want them to make her leave is that Fang is the only one who'll sleep with me," Vanille continued with a serious look as she began eating. "I get really lonely at night, and it's not any fun by myself. I tell the matrons, but none of the other girls want to sleep with me because I give them too many bruises. Matron didn't want me to be lonely, but she didn't want me to be so rough with the other girls anymore, so she let Fang sleep with me because she's stronger."

Konnor couldn't help but burst out laughing, and even Fang cracked a faint smile as she tried to stop the girl before she could embarrass herself more. "Vanille..."

"What?" Vanille blinked at the older girl before glaring at Konnor. "What's so funny? I have really scary nightmares."

"I'm just trying to imagine you being rough with all those girls," Konnor snorted.

Vanille looked confused, especially when Fang punched him in the arm and grunted, "Shut up. Don't imagine anything."

"Ouch." Konnor pouted and rubbed his arm. "Lighten up, Fang. It's funny."

"It's _not_ funny that I have nightmares," Vanille insisted, looking away tearfully.

Konnor did not want Vanille to think that he would cruelly laugh at her pain, so he attempted to explain that her word choice had led to amusing implications. However, he found that the younger girl was clueless about anything not related to innocence and it was impossible to explain things to her without explicitly stating them, which he could not do without feeling uncomfortable.

As Vanille struggled to understand what Konnor tried to tell her, Fang's thoughts drifted far away. The fal'Cie of Cocoon were really beginning to get on her nerves, and someone had to make them pay for what they were doing. Why did Anima do nothing? Their patron fal'Cie was supposed to protect them, and although it was true that nothing had specifically attacked their village, how long would it be before they did and would Anima actually protect them or not? There was no reason to tolerate the destruction of their forest or beautiful homeland any longer, but no one did _anything_.

The frustration and anger that swelled inside of her could not be quelled by the thought that the destruction was far enough from their village that it would not currently cause them problems. Neighboring villages had already been destroyed, and soon the Cocoon fal'Cie would eat up so much of the resources that other clans might attempt to steal from them.

She wondered idly if Anima would even blink when the Cocoon fal'Cie destroyed their village and possibly kidnapped them to bring them to the vipers.

A hand suddenly gripped hers under the table, causing her to jump.

Fang looked up curiously and met Vanille's gaze. The younger girl looked worried, her eyes wide and her brow furrowed. There was no way to know when Konnor had left the two of them to their thoughts.

"Fang, what's wrong?" Vanille murmured gently, squeezing her hand. "You look upset."

The older girl shook her head, forcing a playful smile. "Nothing. Let's go for a walk, okay?"

"Okay." Vanille chirped excitedly, a smile immediately covering her face.

"You're not going anywhere, Oerba Yun Fang!" Matron Essle suddenly appeared at her side, her hands placed on her hips and her brow wrinkled angrily. "You have cleaning duty tonight, and this time I'm not even letting you use the bathroom after the way you sneaked off last time."

Vanille covered her mouth with her hand to conceal her giggles as Fang groaned and attempted to convince the unwavering woman to let her do cleaning duty in the morning instead. Matron Essle would not give in and did not appear to have any problem with dragging the older girl away by her ear.

xxx

The next day, Vanille skipped through town with Fang trailing only a few feet behind her. The two of them had been sent on a few errands for the orphanage, but as usual Fang merely wanted to play pranks. Filling the groceries with a special potion that would make everyone have to use the bathroom, one of her favorite pranks, seemed like a wonderful idea. However, Vanille would not allow her to do so.

"If they think I helped you, they'll really separate us," Vanille insisted with a pout.

Fang had merely rolled her eyes, but when Vanille skipped away, the dark-haired girl smiled warmly at the thought that the other girl did not want them to part.

Vanille stopped in front of a jewelry stand and admired the strands of beads and jewels with an excited, yearning grin. As an orphan, she did not have money, and as a child, no one would hire her. Thus, she could not actually purchase any of the items that glittered in the growing sunlight. However, she still enjoyed looking at them. She even occasionally allowed herself to imagine that she might one day be afforded such luxuries, though by what means she could not know.

Since she most likely would never have the money for such trinkets, Vanille at least prided herself on her ability to make her own jewelry. Most of the other girls in the orphanage praised her creations and asked her to make things for them as well. Even Fang agreed that she was talented, and her taller friend generally did not appreciate girly things.

Speaking of the older girl, when she caught up to Vanille she examined the jewels curiously over her shoulder. Although she had never been particularly interested in the sparkling trinkets people used to adorn themselves, she was not actually opposed to them. It simply seemed foolish to her to spend a lot of money on something that one did not need unless it was truly special. Each piece should mean something to the wearer, and she usually found that that was not the case.

"You deserve the prettiest jewels there."

Fang and Vanille both looked up in surprised to see Oerba Dellion Tom standing beside the pink-haired girl, his hands on his hips as he stood straight and tall in all his glory. Fang noticed with a faint smirk that his eyes met hers fearfully as he stood firmly behind her companion where the older girl could not reach him.

"Hi, Tom." Vanille blushed. "W-What did you say before?"

"I'd buy you everything on this stand, especially the most gorgeous jewels." Tom flushed, smiling honestly. "I don't care how much they cost."

"Y-You would?" Vanille bit her lip, still blushing darkly.

Tom nodded, placing his hand on his heart as though to make a pledge. "Someday, I'm going to be the village chief and—"

Fang was unable to keep from snorting.

Tom shot a glare at her, though he still looked unnerved by her presence, before smiling gently at Vanille. "No matter what, I'll be a very respectable man and make an honest living. I'll save all my money and buy only what I need so that I can give you anything you want. I'll spoil you...if you'll be mine."

Vanille's mouth fell open in surprise and she found herself unable to answer.

He laughed nervously, running his fingers through his hair. "I know that's kind of weird to say right now, but don't worry. It's not like you have to say anything. I've just always liked you, Vanille. You're beautiful and so cute. I don't know any boy our age who _doesn't_ like you, honestly." He rolled his eyes and smiled. "I know you're going to turn into this amazing woman who every boy in the village wants to marry, so I guess I figured I should tell you how I feel now before the rest of them get to you. Wait for me to become an amazing man just like the amazing woman you'll be and I promise I'll be the best husband this village has ever seen."

Looking nervous, he bowed his head awkwardly before turning around and racing away.

Fang and Vanille hurried to finish their errands after that, silent for the remainder of the trip. Fang was lost in her confused thoughts and Vanille was too shell-shocked to say anything at all. Tom had basically asked her to marry him, and the request left her feeling strangely unsettled. Being spoiled by a perfect husband was what every girl should want, but she simply did not want that at all.

Fang, for her part, had never once considered that Vanille might become the type of woman that every boy in the village would marry, and no one had ever bothered to tell her that all the boys seemed to like Vanille. In spite of the knowledge that she should want her best friend to marry prosperously, the idea that Vanille would someday find a husband was difficult to accept. Somehow it made her stomach churn.

xxx

Vanille sat amidst the flowers just outside the western border of the village and hugged her knees to her chest as she attempted vainly to think about something that would make her smile. She could not understand why the other girls had to be so cruel. Over the years she had grown close to her roommates, but there were many other girls in the orphanage who disliked her, chief among them being Oerba Kan Emeli, who facilitated much of the teasing by insisting that her friends and boyfriend Song Don also bullied the pink-haired girl.

On that particular day, Emeli had decided to tell everyone that she had heard that Vanille still had not had her first kiss. The more voluptuous girl had claimed that she had received her very first kiss when she was eleven and told Vanille that no one would kiss her because she looked like a nine-year-old boy, which was distinctly not true even in Vanille's mind. It had still made her feel miserable in spite of the fact that it was unreal. In order to wipe the smirk off the other girl's face, Vanille had admitted that one boy had already asked her to marry him, but Emeli convinced the others that she was lying for attention, which caused an entire courtyard of people to laugh at her. Her cheeks were still red from the embarrassment.

Even though she knew she should not let the others get to her, Vanille had eventually raced out of the village with tears streaming down her face. Her legs had carried her to the only place where she had ever felt blissfully happy.

She remained alone for a long time before footsteps crunched delicately through the grass and Vanille looked up just as a tear dripped down her face.

Fang crouched in front of her and lifted a finger to wipe the droplet away, causing the smaller girl to flush faintly.

"I thought I'd find you here," Fang murmured with a grin as she plopped down beside her. Sobering, she demanded, "Did Emeli tease you again?"

Vanille nodded, dropping her eyes solemnly.

"Maybe I'll beat up Don again," Fang suggested with pursed lips. "That might shut her up."

"Fang, you'll get in trouble," Vanille argued gently, though the corners of her lips did turn up as she admitted with a giggle, "I wish you could beat _her_ up."

"Well, technically I can." Fang chuckled wryly. "I'd feel worse about it though."

"You would?" Vanille pouted miserably. "Even though she hurts me?"

"I mostly only hit people who try to hurt you physically," Fang explained.

The pink-haired girl frowned and lowered her gaze, causing the older girl to laugh. Vanille was so adorable that without thinking she reached out and cupped her cheek in her hand, her thumb running back and forth across her skin.

"Don't you worry, Vanille. I'll find a way to make her stop."

Flushing, Vanille bit her lip as she looked away grinning.

The older girl retracted her hand and lay back in the flowers, smiling at the clouds in the sky. "What do they tease you about anyway? You always get so worked up."

Vanille hesitated nervously. "They tease me about everything, but today it was because no boy had ever wanted to be with me."

Fang nearly sputtered before reminding her reluctantly, "Didn't that loser Tom _propose_ to you the other day? I know I wasn't dreaming."

After all, if it were her dream, that would never have happened.

The younger girl giggled as she nodded and fell into the flowers beside her, turning on her side as she rolled slightly closer.

"Then what are you worried about? Obviously they're wrong," Fang grumbled, annoyed that her pink-haired companion looked so pleased that the boy had proposed.

"Well, I—..." Vanille faltered, embarrassed.

"What is it already?" Fang demanded in exasperation.

Vanille chuckled nervously, refusing to look at her. "Well, I still haven't had my first kiss. Emeli was saying that if boys really liked me, they would kiss me."

"Oh." Fang rolled her eyes. "That's stupid. First kisses are no big deal."

Vanille's eyes widened. "Fang you—you've had your first kiss?"

"Sure." Fang shrugged, still looking at the sky. "It was just a bet."

Vanille felt hurt that she had never told her. "Who was it?"

"No one important." Fang glanced seriously at her. "Like I said, it was just a bet. It didn't mean anything to either of us."

Vanille gave her a suspicious look, but eventually her lighthearted smile returned. "Well, was it fun?"

"I guess." Fang thought back on her first kiss with a curious frown as she wondered how Vanille would react if she had known who she had kissed. "It was no big deal."

"I know Emeli is wrong, but..." Vanille pouted. "I still want to know what it feels like. Aria said it's wonderful. She talked about feelings that are nervous like butterflies in your stomach but good. I-I want to have the same experience."

Fang glanced sympathetically at her before plucking a pretty white flower from the grass. "Here."

Vanille thought that Fang would give her the flower, but to her surprise the older girl pressed the petals to her lips with a grin on her face. As she pulled the flower away under Vanille's curious gaze, her smile grew teasing.

"There. Now you've had your first kiss." Fang laughed.

"Faang!" Vanille whined, amused. "It doesn't count if it's a flower."

"Says who?" Fang smirked as she sat up and braced herself against her hands. Still looking to the sky, she held the flower out to Vanille. "Don't let the other girls tease you. First kisses aren't really that big."

Vanille took the flower into her hand and grinned warmly at the ground.

Although Fang had said that first kisses did not matter, Vanille believed that Fang might feel differently if she had kissed someone that she actually liked. The pink-haired girl hoped that her first kiss was every bit as special as her friends' first kisses.

As she leaned back in the flowers, the pink-haired girl closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the world around her. Everything was perfect if only just for a moment. Her stomach had tingled ever so faintly when Fang pressed the flower to her lips, and the blush on her face had not yet receded.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Author's Note: Not as much fluff in this chapter, but I hope you like it anyway. :) A special thanks to everyone's who's reviewed, and to anyone else who is reading please review if you can. I really like to read what you guys think of the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Vanille stood in front of Fang, shifting back and forth nervously on her heels as she kept her eyes on the ground. The two of them were completely alone in the bedroom they generally shared with others. Her heart thudded nervously in her chest as she wrung her hands together and bit her lip.

Fang smiled faintly as she tilted her head and look at her. "Are you gonna say goodbye?"

"No," the smaller girl replied stubbornly, her voice quivering.

Laughing lightly, Fang exclaimed, "That's not a very nice way to see me off, now is it?"

"But I don't want you to go!" Vanille cried miserably.

"I'm touched you're so worried about me, but we've been over this a hundred times." Fang placed her hands on Vanille's shoulders, and when her skin felt cold to the touch, the older girl absently rubbed her thumbs back and forth over her silky smooth skin. "Not only do I _have_ to go, but I want to. You know I wanna be a hunter."

Vanille pouted and crossed her arms stubbornly. "That doesn't mean I have to like it."

The dark-haired girl laughed and pulled Vanille into her arms, causing the smaller girl to let out a squeak of surprise as their forms collided. Fang's arms wrapped tightly around the smaller girl, causing her breath to catch in her throat. In response, Vanille threw her arms around Fang's waist and buried her face in her shoulder, sighing contentedly in spite of her worry and wondering if she was dreaming.

"Promise me you'll come back," Vanille whispered nervously, shifting and lifting her head so that she could meet her gaze.

Their faces were so close that they could feel each others breath and their eyes locked together half-stunned and half-entranced.

"I've already promised I would," Fang replied breathlessly, tilting her head.

Vanille was embarrassed by their closeness, so she buried her face in Fang's shoulder and pressed against her. Weakly, she whispered, "I'll never forgive you if you don't come back. I-I'll come after you."

Fang smiled warmly at that as she rested her cheek against the top of Vanille's head and ran her fingers delicately through her curls and down her back. She was secretly satisfied when Vanille shivered against her with shallow breath.

Eventually Fang heard Chief Torren, who would be leading the hunting party, loudly calling attendance downstairs. It would be terrible to be late, especially because her elders would completely expect that of her, so Fang pulled delicately away from Vanille, placing her hands on the flushing girl's shoulders.

"I promise I'll come back," Fang assured her with finality, their eyes meeting with such intensity that they both seemed to inhale sharply. "Okay?"

"O-Okay," Vanille replied nervously.

The dark-haired girl patted her cheek before pulling away and securing her pack around her waist. She grabbed her spear from the door frame and saluted Vanille on her way out with a playful wink.

As soon as Fang disappeared through the door, Vanille crossed the room and fell back onto their bed as a worried sigh escaped her lips. No matter how many times Fang had assured her that everyone always came back safely from the ceremonial first hunt in which all fifteen-year-olds were to participate, Vanille could not help but fear for her. Even though she would just be a bother to everyone and certainly would not be able to do anything for Fang that the most skilled hunters in the village could not, she wished that she could join the group to see that Fang was safe with her own eyes. Her dream was to be somehow useful to the other girl.

With a gasp, Vanille shot out of her bed as she recalled that there was a certain kind of berry that grew in the woods just on the Southern side of the village that could restore health and provide energy. Once in her childhood she had accidentally picked and eaten some of the special berries so she knew that they could cause the same symptoms as the consumption of alcohol as well. Matron Kalli, the orphanage medicine woman and nurse, had explained to her that the berries were a bit dangerous because they caused one to act without their wits, but in a sticky situation they could save someone's life.

A glance at the sundial confirmed that the hunting party would not leave for another hour, for there was a ceremony to be performed first. That left Vanille positive that she could make it to the Southern forest and return in time to present Fang with a gift. She would not have time if anyone stopped her, so she discretely slipped out of the orphanage as silently as she could and ran for the forest line.

xxx

Fang felt a surge of exhilaration as she joined the group of new hunters gathering on the edge of town. She noticed that several of the matrons had gathered to see her and the other fifteen-year-old orphans off. The women who had spent their lives raising her were joined by the family members of all the village fifteen-year-olds who were not orphans. Everyone looked either excited or terribly worried, because although it was unlikely that the new hunters would face any dangers that they could not handle while safely under the supervision of the skilled hunters, leaving the village in and of itself was actually quite dangerous.

In spite of the danger, Fang was absolutely ecstatic. She could already feel the thrill of hunting and she had not even left the village yet. Knowing that she would be able to provide for her fellow villagers with her first kill and every kill afterword left her feeling heroic, which she had not felt many times in her life when she had been outcast as the troublemaker. Although the days had long passed since she had played pranks and attempted to create as much havoc as possible, one year of maintaining her playful personality while demonstrating a sense of duty to her village was not enough to change everyone's view of her.

It did not help that almost no one knew that the constant news of attacks by the Cocoon fal'Cie and the inaction of Anima had changed her.

"Listen up!"

The powerful voice of the village chief cut through the excited and nervous chatter of the new hunters, and even the more experienced hunters turned with respect toward their leader.

"I'm going to go over everything again briefly so that everyone understands," Chief Torren explained with a serious look. "We will be entering the danger of the forest and spending several days outside of the protection that Oerba has always provided us. Although we do not anticipate any serious danger, hunting by nature is unsafe. All new hunters will be paired with an experienced hunter for this reason. We will return from this journey with a feast large enough to feed the entire village and we will have our annual festival for the new hunters' return. However, don't let the glory make you lose sight of how important it is to follow every single rule that we have laid out for you while you're outside of this village. There are monsters out there that you've never even had nightmares about."

Fang smiled faintly as some of the others began to whisper nervously. She was completely unafraid.

"Those of you who excel during this hunting exercise will be considered for further training for the career of hunter," Chief Torren went on. "Those of you who act out of turn, do not listen to your chaperones, or act recklessly and not for the good of the whole group will be barred from hunting ever again. Is that understood?"

Everyone in Fang's vicinity nodded in assent.

"Then we move out!" Chief Torren called out again, smiling warmly.

The new hunters hooted and hollered and the family members and matrons waved goodbye as they cheered and shouted for everyone to be careful and return safety. When the noise began to die down, the hunters turned to embark on their journey together.

Just as the thunder of footsteps began to carry them away, a high-pitched voice rang clearly through the air.

"Faaang! Waaait, Faang!"

The dark-haired girl paused, her brows raising as she spun around and witnessed curly pink pigtails bouncing as the adorable girl raced toward her. She noticed other eyes following Vanille as well and was unsurprised, for the girl had experienced a growth spurt over the past year. At thirteen, her body was not completely developed by any means, but she had become attractive in a more womanly way.

Fang tried not to notice.

The rest of the new hunters paused and looked back, causing Chief Torren to crane his neck to see what was happening.

"Faaang!"

"Oh, for Anima's sake, those two!" Head Matron Solstice grumbled.

Chief Torren could not help but laugh warmly.

"You forgot something, Fang!" Vanille lowered her voice as she raced up to Fang, heaving as she attempted to catch her breath. She looked embarrassed as she noticed that everyone was looking at her. "Here. You forgot this."

Fang raised her brows and stared at the small leather sack with a pretty red drawstring that Vanille thrust toward her. She had never seen it before in her life, but she did not want to make a fuss in front of everyone. Immediately, Fang reached out and accepted the small bag, causing their fingers to brush together. Just for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to disappear.

Fang tied the drawstring to her belt so that the bag would not fall and wished that everyone would stop staring at them as though they were waiting for something. "Thanks."

Vanille leaned over as she continued her attempt to catch her breath and nodded.

Fang furrowed her brows as she noticed a long gash down the side of Vanille's face and another scratch up her arm. Without thinking, she reached out as though to touch the fresh wounds.

"Are you all right?"

"It was just a branch," Vanille insisted, stepping swiftly out of Fang's reach partly because everyone was watching them and partly because she was keeping them. Forcing a bright smile, she chirped, "Good luck! Don't forget your promise!"

After she had spoken her part, Vanille turned and raced back toward the orphanage, shouting an apology to the head matron for missing her morning chores and swearing she would finish them as soon as she returned.

Fang chuckled wryly as she watched the pink-haired girl race away before turning around to face everyone who had been staring at them and placing her hands on her hips.

"What the hell are you all staring at?" Fang demanded, barely able to contain her smile. "And they told me _I_ was rude."

"Gods, that girl will give me a heart attack one of these days," Head Matron Solstice exclaimed immediately, making no attempt to speak quietly.

Everyone burst out laughing and Fang cracked a smile as she distracted herself by peaking at the contents of the bag Vanille had presented to her. When she realized what the girl had given her, she could not help but grin brightly. Although it was not exciting that Vanille had gone into the forest by herself or gotten injured finding them, it was absolutely adorable that the younger girl was so worried about her.

Knowing that Vanille cared so much made her feel even more confident and excited for her first hunt.

xxx

Fang wanted to do something as glorious as bring down a King Behemoth all by herself, but her classes had stripped her of such foolish notions. No one could handle such a giant beast on their own except for the fabled Gran Pulse l'Cie. The knowledge that Vanille would be dismayed if she died was enough to convince her to follow the rules along with the fact that she did not particularly plan to end her life at the age of fifteen when she had not yet even kissed someone that she cared for or achieved her goal of becoming the best hunter the village had ever seen.

The march to the hunting grounds was as exciting as ever, and Fang found herself spending time with the very same boys that she had throughout her childhood. It was nice to be reunited with those that she no longer saw, and the morale of the group was so high that even the experienced hunters were laughing, smiling and joking.

When the hunters huddled around their first campfire on a chilly night, Konnor sunk into his seat beside Fang and leaned close to her with a playful grin on his face. "Hey. We should do something fun."

Fang smiled nostalgically, for she thought that he would suggest a prank. "Like what?"

Konnor grinned with unbridled excitement and glanced over his shoulder to make sure that no one was listening before whispering quietly, "We'd be heroes if we could take out something big by ourselves."

Fang rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yeah, unless we died."

Konnor chuckled and nudged his shoulder. "Come on. What, did Vanille make you a coward or something?—_Ouch._"

"Don't talk about Vanille like that," Fang muttered with a frown.

"What? I didn't even say anything bad," Konnor grunted, rubbing his arm as he looked away. "Jeez. Why don't you just marry her already or something?"

Her eyes widening, Fang punched him again.

"Ow! Damn it, Fang, stop it!" Konnor cried, sliding away from her as he held his injured arm. "One of these days I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Like you could," Fang replied with an irritable scoff.

"Jeez, you're so hormonal," Konnor grumbled under his breath.

Fang glared hotly at him, raising her first again. "What was that?"

"Just relax, will ya?" Konnor rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm going out by myself tonight unless you wanna go with me. I'm not gonna be a hunter, but I wanna be a hero just once."

"Are you crazy?" Fang gasped, her anger fading as her eyes widened. "I mean, _I'm_ crazy and even I'm not stupid enough to try going out on my own. What about all the damn monsters out there?"

"We won't run into any of them," Konnor assured her with a confident smile. "We'll just run into one thing big enough for the two of us to kill."

"No way." Fang shook her head. "I'm not dying on this trip. Sorry."

"Your loss." Konnor looked disappointed.

"You're still gonna go?" Fang looked exasperated. "I'll tell Chief Torren. I'm not letting you die."

"You'll betray me?" Konnor glared. "I'll never talk to you again."

"Whatever." Fang attempted to pretend that that would not hurt her. "I have other friends."

Konnor squared his jaw and shrugged indifferently. "Then I'll tell Head Matron about you and Vanille. Maybe she won't let the two of you bunk together anymore."

"What about me and Vanille?" Fang flushed faintly. "There's nothing to tell."

"What, you expect me to believe there's _nothing_ going on between the two of you? You who's never looked twice at a boy and Vanille who's already turned down _two_ marriage proposals?"

"Since when have there been two?" Fang demanded suddenly, but when Konnor gave her a knowing look, she added hastily, "Not that I care. Besides, Vanille's only thirteen. Give her a chance to hit puberty."

"Okay, fine, assuming that Vanille's in late puberty, that still doesn't explain you, Yun Fang," Konnor exclaimed. "I mean, you're _fifteen_ and I've only ever seen you kiss a girl."

"_You_ told me to do that," Fang replied with a huff. "_I_ was just in it for the money."

Konnor scoffed. "I dunno why you're making such a big deal. It's not like I care."

"It's not like that at all, it's—wait, you don't care?" Fang's eyes widened.

"Nope. The way I look at it, it just makes us even closer friends because we have similar interests. It's like we're brothers—er, a brother and a sister who acts kind of like a brother." Konnor grinned playfully. "We could even talk about girls if you'd loosen up a bit. Like for instance, we could talk about Vanille."

Fang raised her fist to punch him like usual, a force of habit, but then she paused. "Like brother and sister?"

"Yeah." Konnor smiled faintly. "I mean, it's not like you're totally like a boy. You look kind of girly still with that sari thing you're always wearing, but I dunno, it still looks really cool on you."

"It doesn't, doesn't it?" Fang smirked.

Konnor chuckled lightly. "So, will you come with me, sister? You're the only family I've ever had, the only one I remember."

"Yeah, I guess I will come with you, big brother." The dark-haired fifteen-year-old grinned excitedly. "So, what d'you wanna kill? We could go for a bear or something."

"I guess a bear would be the smartest." He gave her a curious look. "And cool it with the 'big brother' thing, will ya? We're the same age."

"But it means I respect you," Fang replied with a raised brow. "Would you rather be 'little brother?'"

Konnor frowned in confusion. "Why can't I just be a brother with an undisclosed age?"

Fang shrugged, grinning playfully.

With a roll of his eyes, Konnor pried, "So, about you and Vanille—"

"Shut up about that, will you?" Fang interrupted, her cheeks flushing as she crossed her arms and looked away.

Konnor snickered before patting his shoulder and telling her that he would find her later that night so that they two of them could sneak away. Then he moved to sit with some of the others so that no one would suspect that they had planned anything.

Left alone, Fang took a deep breath and frowned thoughtfully at the ground. Konnor now knew something about her that she had never before admitted, least of all to herself.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Author's Note: Finally a new chapter! Sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of computer problems, but now I can post again. I hope you guys like it! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

When everyone had been asleep so long that they would not stir at the slightest sounds, Fang sat up in bed and picked up a stone. She tossed it close to the village chief's sleeping bag to make certain one last time that he would not awaken, and honestly a part of her was highly disappointed when he did not so much as shift. The dark-haired girl knew how dangerous the forest was and did not feel as confident as Konnor that they would be completely fine on their own. Neither of them had been trained to fight the majority of the monsters that they could find in the forbidden lands outside of their village. The first hunt took place far enough away from their homes that the terrain would not be familiar.

Konnor, hearing Fang's movements, slipped out of his sleeping bag and made sure that the watch keeper was nowhere near them before walking slowly to her. He crouched at her side when he reached her and teased faintly, "Are you still going or are you too chicken?"

Scoffing, Fang stood soundlessly, taking her weapons into her hands as she went.

The two of them shared a look of mixed excitement and worry as they snuck away from the group. There was no way of knowing what they would find, how long it would take to kill it, or whether or not they would be injured, and Fang did not have a good feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was more than the simple knowledge that what she was doing was wrong. It was the undeniable fear that they would not return alive, and it came to her so powerfully that she almost thought it was a prediction.

Vanille would come to the world of the dead just to kill her again if she died and left her in the orphanage alone. That thought aside, Fang was also positive that she was the only one of the two of them who understood that whether or not they conquered a beast on their own, Chief Torren and the other adults would not be pleased.

Just as they were about to push through the trees into a clearing where they might find their desired kill, Fang placed her hand on Konnor's shoulder to stall him.

"Are you sure about this?" Fang frowned faintly. "It would be smart to just wait for the others to wake up, right? You'd still be a hero if one of the hunters helped you make your first kill."

"No, I wouldn't. Making the first kill with a hunter behind you to make sure you don't get hurt is what _everyone_ does on their first hunt. We can't all be heroes together."

"Why not?" Fang pursed her lips.

"_Because_," Konnor insisted, crossing his arms. "Do you wanna go or not? I'll go by myself. I don't care either way."

"I want to go," the dark-haired girl insisted even though the truth was that she felt that he would die if someone did not join him.

"Then hurry up and stop trying to convince me not to do this," Konnor instructed as he walked into the clearing ahead of her.

Fang was a little relieved when no monsters immediately came to them. They were forced to wander through the forest for almost an hour, searching for something big enough to make them heroes but small enough to allow them to return to their fellow villagers alive. Fang put to good use all the lessons that she had learned in the classes leading up to the first hunt. She kept predators off of their trail and frequently stopped to examine animal tracks. The zealous girl even often climbed trees so that she could have a better view of what was going on around them, and once her eyes completely adjusted to the darkness, everything seemed less frightening.

Konnor, for his part, generally watched Fang rather than helping. He was not worried at all and went so far as to constantly tease her for how stressed the mission seemed to make her. The dark-haired girl determined that Konnor could never be a hunter because he did not have the capacity to take the situation seriously enough to protect his own life.

"Wait!" Fang shouted suddenly. "Don't eat that!"

The dark-haired girl immediately jumped down from a tree, landing in a crouch and springing toward her friend. She immediately knocked the shiny, bean-shaped black berry out of her friend's hand.

"That would've stopped your heart in seconds!" Fang scolded, placing her hands on her hips.

"Why? What is it?" Konnor looked mildly concerned.

"Did you pay attention at _all_ in your classes this year?" She grumbled in exasperation.

"Obviously not as much as you." Konnor shrugged indifferently. "I never wanted to be a hunter or anything. I just want to be a hero once."

"Idiot." Fang pursed her lips. "You better hope we _both_ die out here if something goes wrong, 'cause if I die saving your sorry ass, I dunno what Vanille will do to you."

"Like she could do anything to me." Konnor laughed.

"You'd be surprised how strong she is," Fang insisted as she paused and crouched to examine another set of tracks. She added nonchalantly, "You should see the bruises she gives me."

Konnor snickered.

"I'm serious. Look!"

Fang adjusted her skirt to show him a dark black-and-blue mark shaped like a knee that stained her upper thigh.

"This is from last week," she explained, pointing to the mark. "It hurt like hell, so bad that it woke me up in the middle of the night."

"Wow." Konnor whistled, appraising the mark. A sly smirk then developed on his face as he teased, "So, what was her leg doing between yours, Fang?"

Blushing, she replied gruffly, "It _wasn't_ between my legs until she kneed me in her sleep. It's not like she did it on purpose. She's always having some kind of nightmare when she sleep attacks me. It surprised the hell out of me, because nowadays she doesn't kick as much as she used to."

Konnor snorted as though he did not believe her, though Fang was unsure why the other boy would ever think that she would let Vanille kick her so hard to bruise her if the two of them had been awake. Rolling her eyes, she resumed walking, her ears prickling as she heard something strange through the next clearing. She was unable to stop Konnor as he ran a few steps ahead and parted the trees.

"Look, Fang!" He whispered excitedly, motioning her over.

She crept silently beside him and crouched down, grabbing him by the trousers and pulling him down with her. When they were both safely out of sight, she used her fingers to part the tall, untamed grass with her hands and followed his gaze. A gigantic bear was wandering around the clearing on all fours sniffing for something.

"It's pretty late for a bear to be awake, and I wonder what it's searching for" Fang commented with a frown. "Wanna go for something smaller instead? This could be dangerous."

"No way. Let's kill it and drag it back to camp. We'll be heroes by morning," Konnor exclaimed enthusiastically.

Fang rolled her eyes yet again. "Konnor, hunting with you is like hunting with a child. We can't see the clearing well enough from here to know what woke up the bear. What if it's looking for a poisonous critter that disturbed its sleep? We've got no way of knowing. The smartest thing to do would be to wait until it goes to sleep and take it then."

"That's cowardly." Konnor pursed his lips. "I want to be a hero and fight it."

"Hunting isn't about being a hero." Fang narrowed her eyes. "Hunters are revered because they are able to _survive_ in the forest and because they provide food for us."

"So, what? I'm not a hunter. I'm just a kid, and _I_ want to be a hero."

Relenting because it seemed that there was little she could do, Fang mumbled, "Fine, but we need a plan before we go. How do you want to attack it?"

"We don't need a plan. I can't believe how much of a worry wart you are," Konnor teased as he stood. "Besides, I don't need your help. I paid attention to the killing part of class."

Without hesitating, the boy suddenly burst through the trees and raced across the clearing. The bear froze in place as it heard him coming and immediately turned to swipe a giant clawed paw across his face. Konnor ducked around the bear and stabbed his dagger into the fleshiest part of the creature's back, accomplishing nothing but causing it pain. When the bear roared in fury, Konnor yelped excitedly and backed away as he drew another weapon. However, the battle did not continue to go his way and soon the creature chased him around, gaining quickly.

Fang stared incredulously for a moment as she wondered how he could be such an idiot before she shot into the clearing like an arrow to help him. She thanked the gods that she had had the foresight to grab several different weapons, because she immediately tore a sharp poison dart from the pack on her back and shot it through the wooden straw she had brought with her. It struck the bear in the shoulder, missing the target of its neck, and only served to slow the creature down, but every bit would help.

The dark-haired Gran Pulsian immediately threw the wooden reed to the ground and took up her staff, the weapon that she was most comfortable with, as she raced after the bear that attempted to tear her friend's head off, leaving a miraculously shallow gash across his forehead because he ducked at the proper moment. The Gran Pulsian girl was fearless as she attacked the bear, for the adrenaline and the need to rescue her friend pulsed through her. Konnor helped as best he could, but he was all but useless to her and highly impressed by Fang's formidability as she ducked under the bear's swings and dealt blows to its most sensitive areas. When the bear seemed so exhausted that it could no longer continue, Konnor jumped on its back and slit its throat before it could buck him off.

The two of them left the bear's carcass in the clearing as they attempted to catch their breath, the adrenaline rush beginning to slow with every gulp of air they took in. They were covered in sweat, blood and dirt and neither looked particularly attractive.

As Fang recovered, she gasped, "You—are—such—a—wuss!"

"I am not." Konnor looked insulted.

"Yeah, you are, you idiot!" Fang shouted irritably, though in truth she was more distressed than angry. "You were the one who wanted to be a hero and have all the glory and all that bullshit and you made me do _all_ the work. It's a good thing you don't want to be a hunter, because you have no idea how to do it and you're _so_ weak. Gods, if you had gone by yourself you'd be dead, Konnor. What's the matter with you?"

He frowned exasperatedly, but as he looked at the bear across the clearing he seemed to realize that she was right and gave her a sheepish look. "Okay, fine, but just don't tell everyone else that I was such a failure, okay?"

The tension broke and Fang began to laugh. "Yeah, right. I'm telling everyone how much of a loser you are. And by the way, you just got demoted to little brother. You're not cool enough to be the big brother anymore."

Konnor looked slightly injured by her statement in spite of the fact that she was teasing, but he did smile faintly.

"Can we go back to camp now?"

"Yeah, but let's at least get something off of the bear first." Konnor stood and crossed the clearing, calling loudly, "I want evidence of my first kill."

"Whatever." Fang rolled her eyes and leaned back against the tree, placing a hand on her chest to calm down.

Her heart was still beating so fast that it ached, and it had not been fun to kill the bear like she thought it would be. The moment that she had felt its roar resonating through her entire form, her blood pumped through her so hard that she had heard it ringing in her ears. Her fight instinct overpowered every other feeling and she became an animal. There was so much that she needed to learn before she could be a real hunter so that she did not lose her head, because if she did that she might _literally_ lose her head as well.

Her eyes followed the long, bleeding gash down her arm and she mused that she was lucky the bear did not tear open her ribcage instead. She had narrowly avoided the claws so many times that she could not count. They would need much medical attention when they returned, so no one would think that they were heroes. Chief Torren would scorn them, and he might not believe that it had not been her idea in the first place.

If Konnor had made it so that she could not be a hunter…

"It's time to leave now." Fang stood suddenly and took one last deep breath.

Konnor, who had not yet even skinned the bear, looked like he might argue. However, when he saw the dark look in her eyes, he was compelled to agree with her. She had never looked so serious and cold for as long as he had known her.

"The forest is more dangerous than even I thought," Fang added as she looked around gravely. "You and I aren't trained or strong enough to be here. We could hardly kill a bear on our own, and there are a _lot_ bigger monsters here, so we're going back—_now_."

"Good idea." Konnor knocked out the dead bear's teeth and carefully tucked them into his pack figuring that he could at least make a necklace to commemorate his first kill.

He hoped that Fang would pretend their battle had been more of a joint effort than her massacre of the bear.

The two of them turned to make their way back into the forest, but suddenly a rumbling across the clearing shook all the trees. Fang stumbled and Konnor lost his footing and toppled to the ground. The dark-haired girl was the first to turn around, and for the first time in his life, Konnor saw pure terror in her eyes.

A part of him was too afraid to look, but he had to turn around. A quick glance over his shoulder as he pulled himself up confirmed his worst fears. It was a King Behemoth.

"Shit." Fang's curse was barely audible and her mouth never closed.

xxx

A twig snapped on the forest line and the hunter keeping watch raised his head suspiciously, his eyes sweeping through the trees as he attempted to assess the situation. His eyes widened when two forms that he recognized emerged from the bushes. Knol Konnor and Yun Fang were troublemakers in his mind, so he was not altogether surprised that they had been able to sneak away under his watch, though from the looks of them, it had been quite a foolish decision on their part. Fang looked especially worse for the wear, her usual smirk replaced by pale features and cloudy eyes.

"Help us!" Konnor gasped in horror.

The two young ones were covered in blood, but Kun Ecko was certain that the majority of the blood was Fang's, for the girl was hunched over so far that she did not look like she could take another step and Konnor was practically dragging her. Her skin was pasty white in spite of the fact that it was generally quite tan and rivers of sweat parted the blood covering most of her exposed skin. A quick scan of her form confirmed that she was injured most seriously in three places: along the abdomen, where the forehead met the hairline, and down the inside of her right leg.

"Everyone wake up immediately!" Ecko shouted powerfully as he stood.

The medicine man, Dalion Fern, immediately threw his sleeping bag away from him, grabbed his small medical bag, and raced to the three of them, shouting orders as some of the other adults came to their side. The remaining hunters stared with hardened gazes, for they had seen much death in their lives. Meanwhile, the new hunters looked confused, their brows furrowed as they tried to figure out what was going on. They had the good sense not to ask questions, but it was clear that they were all disturbed by what possibly could have happened while they were asleep.

Two strong men heaved Fang onto the nearest sleeping back, Konnor's, and she groaned loudly in pain as they rearranged her weakened limbs so that the medicine man could properly examine all of her injuries. He started with her leg and abdomen, since the two were bleeding the most seriously, and she sputtered and grimaced as she tried to move. In the end, she was too delirious to sit up. Her entire body felt shattered as though she had been crushed by the heaviest weight in the world.

"Why did you leave?" Ecko demanded furiously, nearly grabbing her by the shoulders. "It was dangerous and stupid!"

"Later, Ecko," Fern interrupted with narrowed eyes, shooing him away. "Fang's survival is more important than her punishment."

"I can explain everything anyway." Konnor looked away guiltily. "Fang doesn't deserve punishment because it isn't her fault. She saved my life. If anything, she's a hero."

Ecko scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Come now, Konnor. We all know Yun Fang."

"No, you don't." Konnor narrowed his eyes. "She tried really hard to convince me not to go, but I wouldn't listen. She told me over and over again how dangerous it was and really wanted me to wait until morning, trying to convince me that I'd be just as much of a hero if I made my first kill with older, more experienced hunters helping me. I was just so stupid."

Ecko pursed his lips and waited for more.

"She said she was going to tell Chief Torren because she wasn't going to let me get myself killed, but I threatened to…" He paused, looking away with furrowed brows.

"Well?" Chief Torren demanded sternly as he stepped forwards.

"I threatened to tell you guys something she did," Konnor lied easily, frowning and looking away. "That shut her up, but she was still mad at me and I didn't want to go alone, so I told her she was like a sister to me, the only one I ever knew. I used that to…convince her to go with me." He shifted uncomfortably, lowering his head shamefully. "It's a good thing, too. I would've died if it weren't for her."

"You expect us to believe that _Fang_, the girl who's been terrorizing our village since she was out of diapers—"

"Ecko," Chief Torren interrupted firmly. "Not now." Turning back to Konnor, he looked into his eyes. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I swear, I am," Konnor nodded gravely, his gaze unwavering.

"Then tell us the rest," Chief Torren demanded as he seated himself beside Fang. "Quickly."

"I just wanted to make one kill on my own and be a hero," Konnor replied miserably, hanging his head and glancing sidelong at Fang as the medicine man shook his head with a worried frown while examining her. "We found a bear and I tried to help, but it was mostly Fang who took it down by herself. We were both exhausted and she finally convinced me to go back to the camp, but then a King Behemoth came out of nowhere and attacked us."

Everyone around them gasped, entranced by the story.

"We knew that if we tried to fight it, it would kill us," Konnor went on as he sent another forlorn glance at Fang. "We didn't have much choice though."

"You fought a King Behemoth? Did you kill it?"

"_Fang_ fought it," Konnor scoffed. "She distracted it enough that we could run away, and we were lucky because it spotted an adamantine while it was chasing us. I don't think we could've outrun it with the state Fang's in now…"

"Do you know how serious this all is?" Chief Torren inquired sternly. "You are well aware that you could have died, that you _almost_ did."

Konnor nodded gravely, his eyes lowering shamefully. "I don't want to be a hunter anyway, but please don't punish Fang. All she ever wanted to do was be a hunter, and she was amazing. She didn't want to go with me, but she did anyway just to protect me."

Chief Torren frowned as though he had not been swayed.

"She doesn't even play pranks anymore!" Konnor gasped. "She's totally changed. She's responsible, unlike me."

Ecko rolled his eyes. "You'd fall on your sword for her."

"I'm _not_ lying," Konnor shouted emotionally. "Don't take this away from her. It's all completely my fault. She tried to convince me not to go."

"No one is saying that Fang won't be able to hunt," Chief Torren interrupted calmly. "You, however, are banned from it."

Konnor nodded, looking only slightly relieved.

Chief Torren glanced down at Fang with a sympathetic look. "If she even makes it back to the village, we'll see how she recovers and then listen to her side of the story before we make any decisions."

"I'm not sure that there's anything I can do for her," the medicine man admitted uneasily.

Fang seemed to stir at those words, opening her bleary eyes. Her lips began to move as she tried to speak and Konnor, assuming the message was for him, fell at her side and took her hand.

"What is it, Fang?" Konnor whispered gently, feeling his chest tighten. "What do you need?"

Her lips moved more quickly, but the only sounds that escaped for a long time were groans. Soon the sounds began to take form, though it was difficult to distinguish one word from another.

"What's she trying to say," Chief Torren inquired with a frown.

Konnor's eyes widened guiltily. "I-I can't tell but…I think she's saying 'Vanille.'"

Chief Torren sighed wearily. "If only the girl were here, though I don't know if she could stand this sight. Losing your best friend is difficult, especially when neither of them has a family."

Fang shook her head, looking both dizzy and frustrated, and opened her eyes to weakly look at them. Attempting to speak more clearly, she managed, "V-Vanille—b-bag—…"

"Bag?" Konnor raised his brows and glanced at the Chief. "Vanille's bag? I don't understand."

"B-Bag—" Fang mumbled wearily as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head. She attempted to move her arm but found herself unable to do so as she murmured, "Vanille…"

The village chief was about to resign himself to the fact that Fang was delirious as his eyes drifted down to the wounds on her lower torso and legs and her bloodstained clothes. His eyes suddenly found the drawstring pouch at her waist and widened.

"The bag that Vanille gave her!" The chief gasped triumphantly, ignoring the bewildered looks that the others gave him as he ordered the medicine man to open it and see what was inside.

When Fern examined the contents of the bag, his shoulders sagged with relief. He displayed them to the village chief as he murmured, "These berries will save this girl's life."

Konnor could not see what was inside of the bag, but he, too, was quite relieved at those words. He had no idea how much blood Fang had lost, but he could tell that her wounds were fatal and he had been attempting over the last several moments to deal with his guilt while he tried to think of comforting and apologetic words for Vanille. He had already decided that he would have to be the one to tell her, but he had been unable to think of a single thing that he could say that would not make the smaller girl want to kill him for what he had done. He would not have blamed her either.

"Konnor," the medicine man exclaimed firmly to get his attention as he shoved a handful of berries into his hands. "Crush these between your fingers and begin feeding them to Fang. Chief Torren, massage her throat so that she will swallow them."

With shaking hands, the fifteen-year-old boy obeyed, beginning to mush the berries into a pulp between his fingers and forcing Fang's mouth open. He was so afraid that he would not act quickly enough that some of the pulp dribbled down her chin as he seemed to shovel it into her mouth.

"Not too much at once," the medicine man scolded gently.

"She'll be okay, Konnor," Chief Torren added, placing one hand on his shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

xxx

Vanille awoke well before the sun rose on the morning that the hunters would finally return to the village. Recalling the nightmare that she had had only moments before, the pink-haired girl took a deep breath and tried to dispel the nervous thoughts swirling violently through her mind. It had been a full six days since she had seen Fang, and although it had been easier than she thought to sleep by herself, she anticipated the other girl's return with much excitement. The only thing that worried her was that Fang might think of herself as too much of an adult to share a bed with a thirteen-year-old now that she had completed her first hunt.

She was also terribly worried about Fang. The dark-haired girl had promised her several times that she would be completely fine, but Vanille paid close attention in her classes and knew how dangerous the wild could be. It was also not difficult to imagine that Fang would attempt something heroic to prove that she would make a perfect hunter in the future.

Sighing wearily, the younger girl slipped out of bed and dressed quickly in the darkness. She remained as silent as possible so as not to wake the other girls and then wandered into the fields on the western edge of the village, plopping down into the flowers just as the sun began to rise. The girl had intended to lay there awake until the village bells began to ring, but instead her drowsy eyes drifted shut and she slept in the sweet-scented field until the bells hailed the arrival of heroes young and old.

She awoke with a start and sat up, terrified that she would miss the arrival of her friend and make the other girl think that she did not care that she had been gone for an entire week. With that thought in mind, Vanille tore away from the flowers and raced to the northern entrance of the village so quickly that her heart thundered in her chest. She reached the others and stood near some of the matrons as she caught her breath.

Head Matron Solstice and Matron Tania made polite conversation with the pink-haired girl while the long line of hunters returned home. Some of the younger girls threw flower petals on the ground to welcome their heroes home. The new hunters were directly in the center of all of the adults, so at first no one could see them. However, when Head Matron let out a gasp of surprise, Vanille felt herself go numb and wished that she was taller.

When she finally spotted Fang, it was not the stuff of her nightmares, but she still hated the way that the other girl looked so pale. The combination of the bandages wrapped around her head, abdomen and leg and the way that she slumped and leaned heavily against her staff broke Vanille's heart. Fang was as much her hero as her best friend, so she did not want to see her that way.

"Fang!"

Vanille's cry startled some of the others awaiting the return of their family members and friends as she suddenly burst into action. She immediately pounced on Fang, flinging her arms around her. Fang, for her part, grimaced in pain when the other girl collided with her and weakly lifted one arm to wrap it around her back.

"Vanille…"

"Fang, you said no one was going to get hurt!" Vanille blubbered immediately. "What happened to you? Are you okay? You said you'd be fine. I'm _so_ mad at you!"

"Vanille, I _am_ fine," Fang argued.

It was a lie, but she thought it was okay because eventually she _would_ be fine.

"What _happened_?" Vanille gasped dramatically.

The pink-haired girl noticed that people were staring at them, raising their brows and chuckling as they walked by, so with a flush on her face she pulled back so that she was only touching Fang's arms rather than wrapping herself around her.

"I just had a little mishap is all," Fang replied as she patted her back.

The dark-haired girl immediately stood up straighter and forced a pleasant look on her features, because she could not stand to look weak in front of Vanille.

"Fang, that didn't answer my question," Vanille whined.

"Let's get back to the orphanage," Fang suggested, skirting the question again. "I need to get some rest."

"You're right," Vanille squealed, immediately moving to her side and wrapping one arm around her waist to support her.

"I don't need help," Fang assured her.

In spite of what she had said, the older Gran Pulsian was grateful when the other girl did not pull away because she was much better support than Fang's staff.

As the two of them walked, Fang explained everything that had happened, excluding the part where Konnor had confronted her about what he suspected about the two of them, and then relayed the experience of fighting a bear and a King Behemoth. She could not help but exaggerate with an amused grin on her face, for Vanille gasped nearly every time that she spoke. The most wonderful moment of the conversation was when Fang admitted that the berries Vanille had given her had saved her life, for the other girl smiled brilliantly.

"I saved you," Vanille giggled, beaming at her. "I'm really glad."

Fang patted Vanille's shoulder and shared her grin. "Yep. Thanks for that."

They were just entering the orphanage when Vanille informed her, "You're never going hunting again. I'm really mad at you."

Chuckling wryly, the older girl played with her hair as they walked. "I'll be fine as long as I never bring Konnor with me again."

Vanille giggled, though she attempted to conceal the noise by covering her mouth because Konnor was walking right behind them. The older boy grumbled, embarrassed, that Fang was supposed to pretend that it had been a joint effort.

"After you almost got me killed, I think I'm entitled to tell Vanille whatever I want," Fang insisted with a faint smile.

Konnor flushed and bowed his head. "I guess you're right."

Soon the two of them reached their bedroom, and Fang was glad to see that it was completely empty. It would be nice for as few people as possible to see her in her weakened state, especially because she could hardly slump onto the bed by herself. There was no chance that she would be able to change her clothes.

Letting out a sigh of relief as she let her staff fall to the ground, Fang dragged herself to one side of the bed to give the other girl room before sinking into the mattress. A bed had never felt so wonderful before that moment.

Vanille sat on the edge of the bed and smiled teasingly down at her. "Don't get too comfortable, Fang. You'll have to get up for the party soon."

"Oh, you think so?" Fang smiled playfully. "For your information, _little_ Vanille—"

"I'm _not_ little," Vanille pouted.

"—Chief Torren already said I didn't have to go. Those berries _were_ wonderful, but I'm actually in a lot of pain."

"Really?" Vanille gasped, a look of worry coming over her features. "Do you want me to get you more berries? Or I could get Matron Kalli."

Fang shook her head and patted the bed next to her. "Just come here. Did you miss me?"

Vanille lay down, turning on her side to face her and unable to keep from grinning warmly as she teased, "Nope. It was nice to have the whole bed to myself for once."

With a shrug, Fang wrapped her uninjured arm around Vanille and pulled the surprised girl against her. Closing her eyes, she exclaimed honestly, "I missed you—a lot."

Vanille seemed to coo as she nestled into her grasp, her cheeks burning as Fang rested her cheek against the top of her head and breathed in the scent of her sweet hair. Curling closer to the dark haired girl, Vanille pressed her cheek to Fang's shoulder and wrapped one arm timidly around her waist.

Although Fang was injured, she never wanted that moment to end.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Author's Note: Finally a new chapter! Sorry for the irregular updates. I hope you all like this chapter! : )

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

"Look, Fang! I made one for you, too," Vanille chirped, grinning happily as she held out a simple beaded necklace. "I made sure it wasn't sparkly or anything because I know you wouldn't like that."

Fang raised her brow and reached out to accept the jewelry. With an uncertain look, she inquired, "Didn't I tell you I didn't want one?"

The pink-haired girl cast her eyes away and pouted. "You won't wear it then? I put so much work into it…"

Fang furrowed her brows, even though she could not imagine that it had taken Vanille a long time to make the necklace. "It's not because I don't like it, Vanille. I just think that beads are silly."

"Everyone wears beads." Vanille pouted as tears filled her eyes. "I really wanted to make something for you because you're my best friend in the world."

"Oh, come on, Vanille," Fang warned, smiling wryly. "You know that doesn't work on me anymore."

Her younger friend had developed a habit over the years of looking like she would begin to cry so that the dark-haired girl would give in to her most bizarre desires. However, Fang had realized over the past year that Vanille's tears were most frequently forced. The second that she had caught on, the older girl had determined that she would never fall for Vanille's antics again. It was a struggle, especially because the adorable pink-haired girl was increasingly more attractive with the passing of every year, but over time Fang had been able to figure out when Vanille was actually upset and when she was faking.

"I'm sorry." Vanille turned away from her, staring hard at the bench on which they sat together. "I'm not doing it on purpose. I'm really sad about it, but…at the same time I know that I shouldn't force you to wear it. I really just want you to be happy, Fang, so you don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

Fang's brows furrowed, because it was always more difficult to tell when she could not see the younger girl's face.

"I know you think beads and jewelry are stupid," Vanille added, her tone miserable, "but it's my dream to be a jewelry maker. Does that mean you think _I'm_ stupid?"

"Of course not," Fang replied as she struggled to remember the last time Vanille had seemed serious about becoming a jewelry maker.

The older Gran Pulsian had begun studying to be a hunter over the past year, practicing fighting and learning about the wilderness instead of attending regular classes. That meant that she no longer saw Vanille as frequently as she used to, especially because she sometimes left the orphanage for days at a time to apprentice herself to the most experienced hunters. Even when she remained within the village, her training sessions did not end until well into the night. A quick reflection of the past few months reminded her that Vanille had in fact whispered to her one night when she had returned from a grueling hunt that she had realized her own dream, which was to make pretty bracelets, necklaces and hairpieces that everyone in the village could enjoy.

Fang had honestly forgotten because she was so busy.

"I bet you do think it's stupid, but it's okay." Vanille was still unwilling to look at her as her fingers traced a pattern on the bench. "I know that making jewelry isn't heroic like being a hunter, but it's all I'm good at…so…"

"Vanille, I _don't_ think it's stupid," Fang insisted, placing her hand on her shoulder, "And it doesn't matter if what you do is heroic or not. You've got talent. I could never make jewelry, and if I did it would look like… Well, let's just say I've got about as much artistic talent as a chocobo. Everything you make is very pretty."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better, but I know you're lying because you won't even wear something I made." Vanille lowered her head as her shoulders fell.

"Hey." Fang tugged on the other girl's shoulder so she would turn to face her. The tears glistening in her eyes weakened Fang's resolve. "Don't cry. There's nothing wrong with making jewelry."

Vanille looked unconvinced. "No one will ever call me a hero or be proud of me."

"_I'm_ proud of you, and I'll prove it," Fang replied stubbornly, putting on the necklace and hiding the displeased look that attempted to grace her features. "See? There's no reason to cry. Someday _everyone_ will be wearing stuff that you make, and maybe the town elders won't consider you a hero, but half the girls in the village will."

With a weak smile, the pink-haired girl inquired, "Do you promise you'll keep wearing it?"

"Yeah, I promise." Fang sighed.

"Yay!" Vanille clapped her hands together and giggled. "That wasn't so hard."

"What do you mean?" The dark-haired girl furrowed her brows.

"I got you to wear it," Vanille teased. "I thought you said you could tell when I was faking."

With a look of distaste, Fang grumbled, "Even if I can usually tell, I'm not perfect. I can't believe you went through all that just to trick me into wearing some stupid necklace."

Vanille pouted. "I thought you said it wasn't stupid."

"That was before I knew you did all that to trick me," Fang replied stubbornly as she began to remove the string from her neck.

"Wait!" Vanille placed her hand on top of Fang's and gave her a serious look. "Please, wear it. The beads are made of special crystals. Matron Iva said they bring protection and luck to the person wearing them."

Fang raised her brow. "Really?"

"That's why I want you to wear it so badly." Vanille squeezed her hand. "I really worry about you a lot, Fang."

"Is this just another trick?" The dark-haired girl eyed her suspiciously.

"I promise it's not," the pink-haired girl assured her. "Will you please wear it? It'll make me feel better when you're gone."

Pursing her lips, Fang nodded. "All right. I'll wear it."

"Thank you." Vanille smiled brightly. Standing from the table, she wrapped her arms around Fang's neck and leaned against her for only a moment, whispering in her ear, "It looks good on you, Fang."

The dark-haired girl felt herself blushing and watched, somewhat perplexed, as Vanille pulled back and bounced away. As she began to relax, she laughed wryly to herself. Vanille was too much sometimes.

"You know, I think Head Matron is starting to suspect about you two," Konnor exclaimed suddenly as he slid onto the bench beside her.

Fang turned to face him with a roll of her eyes. "I dunno know why you don't believe me. There's _nothing_ going on."

"Yeah, yeah, I don't believe you because there's _obviously_ something," Konnor replied, smirking faintly.

Fang shrugged indifferently, since she had tried many times to convince him.

As she turned away from him, her eyes scanned the room until she found Vanille sitting at another table with several friends. She was giggled as she told them something, so Fang could only assume that she was regaling them with the heroic tale of convincing Fang to wear the necklace she had made. In a way, it could have been annoying to have her best friend convince her to do something she did not want to, but it was fine because it was Vanille. She could never stay angry at the other girl for long, not even when they were children. It was even more difficult now, if that were possible, because Vanille was becoming so incredibly…attractive in a way that Fang could not even begin to describe.

Sometimes when she looked upon the shorter girl, her cheeks felt warm and her throat felt dry, and that wasn't all.

"If you want to keep it a secret," Konnor lectured, interrupting her thoughts, "the first think you have to do is stop staring at her all the time."

Fang jumped, turning promptly to face her friend. "I wasn't staring."

"Yeah, you were. Even Vanille noticed." Konnor smirked and raised his brow. "That's why she's blushing now."

"I wasn't," Fang insisted, refusing to glance over her shoulder at the other girl to see if she really had grown uncomfortable.

"Whatever." Konnor shrugged indifferently. "I've got some advice for you, you know."

"What kind of advice?" Fang eyed him suspiciously.

"Oh, just some stuff I've picked up over the last few years, you know, dating girls," Konnor replied.

Fang snorted with laughter. "What girls?"

Konnor flushed, "Well, at least I'm not like _you_. You haven't even kissed anyone but you-know-who—unless you and V—"

"Let's not make this personal," Fang interrupted hastily, narrowing her eyes. "There's no way you've dated _that_ many girls."

"Do you wanna hear my advice or not?" Konnor grumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly. "I mean, if you wanna be a fumbling idiot the first time you…_you know_, that's up to you."

"Why would I wanna hear about that stuff from you?" Fang frowned uncomfortably.

"You sure?"

The dark-haired girl glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before leaning closer and giving him a serious look. "Okay, fine. Tell me everything."

Konnor laughed and patted her shoulder. "This is stuff you should know anyway, since you're already sixteen."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Fang snapped to hide her embarrassment.

"Calm down. I was just kidding." Konnor chuckled. "Jeez."

xxx

Vanille skipped through the gorgeous fields of colorful flowers to the east of the village as Fang lazily trailed a few steps behind her. The pink-haired girl allowed her fingers to brush against the soft petals and the pointed tips of the tall green grass. As her fingers became sticky with sweet morning dew, she giggled and retracted her hands.

Over a year ago, Vanille never would have woken so early in the morning, but she had grown to realize as the months passed her by that she would never see Fang again if she did not change her schedule. Since the older girl who was quickly becoming a hunter was only available very early in the morning and very late at night when she was too exhausted to remain awake, Vanille had made accommodations to spend time with her friend.

Today was Fang's day off, but the two of them had still awoken as the sun rose in spite of Fang being able to sleep as late as she wanted.

Eventually Vanille stopped to rest and plopped down into the wet grass. She closed her eyes as she lay back in a patch of flowers and giggled.

"What's so funny?" Fang murmured gently as she sat down beside her and wrinkled her nose at the feeling of the freezing morning dew against her skin.

"Nothing," Vanille chirped adorably as she turned on her side to face her. "When you become a full hunter, are you gonna get a tattoo like all the others?"

"Yep." Fang nodded, tilting her head curiously. "What made you think of that?"

Vanille shrugged before rolling on her stomach and beginning to play with the flowers. "I dunno. Some of the others were talking about the hunters' tattoos the other day and I was just wondering what yours would look like. They're usually really cool."

Fang raised her brow, smirking faintly. "So _that's_ how you spend your days when I'm gone. Are you usually thinking about me?"

Vanille flushed and buried her face in the flowers. "Dellion Tom was the one talking about the tattoos. He says that's the only reason he'd become a hunter, since they look so cool."

"Dellion Tom, a hunter?" Fang snorted as she rolled onto her own stomach. Their arms brushed together, causing each of them to flush faintly. "I'd like to see that softy _try_ to hunt. He'd run screaming into the woods from a bug."

The pink-haired girl bit her lip to hide her smile, since she thought that teasing others was cruel.

"What's he really gonna be anyway?" Fang smirked as she nudged her friend. "A jewelry maker?"

"Faang!" Vanille whined, pouting at her. "You said there's nothing wrong with being a jewelry maker."

The older girl laughed as she rested her cheek against her arms and closed her eyes. "It's too early to be awake on my day off, so I'm taking a nap."

"Okay." Vanille began to stand up as she mumbled, "I'm gonna go swim in the river while you're napping."

"What?" Fang lifted her head and gave the younger girl an incredulous look. "The water'll be freezing, Vanille."

The younger girl did not acknowledge her statement or appear to have heard her as she began skipping through the flowers toward the river.

Fang, unwilling to allow the other girl to go alone when the forest was dangerous, immediately stood up and chased after her. She quickened her pace until she reached the other girl and gently took her arm, tugging her in another direction.

"If you're convinced you're gonna go swimming, you should at least go to a pond instead of the river." Fang mumbled, thinking that it would be much safer. "It'll be more secluded."

Vanille glanced at her. "Why do we have to go somewhere secluded?"

Fang glanced at her friend with a raised brow, an amused smile growing on her lips because she could not imagine that the pink-haired girl had anything vulgar in mind in spite of the insinuation in her voice.

"I'm sure the younger boys'll be playing by the river. It's the perfect time of morning to hatch up a prank or make your mother mad if you have one," Fang replied eventually. "I didn't think you'd want them gawking at you all morning."

"Why would they gawk at me?" Vanille blinked innocently.

Rolling her eyes and patting the younger girl's shoulder, she exclaimed, "You'll understand eventually, _little_ Vanille."

With a betrayed gasp, Vanille pulled away from her and glared. "Fang, I'm _not_ little anymore."

"'Course you're not," Fang mumbled with a teasing grin. "That's why they'd be gawking."

The younger girl gave her a clueless look, but Fang was fairly certain that she understood because her cheeks turned pink.

"You're not very nice to me," Vanille pouted as she crossed her arms.

"Sorry." Fang draped her arm across the younger girl's shoulders. "Forgive me?"

Vanille smiled warmly at the ground, her heartbeat quickening as Fang's fingertips absently traced the skin on her bare right shoulder. Goosebumps traveled all the way down her spine, and the way that Fang's arm wrapped around her caused the two of them to walk so close to each other that their hips touched and Vanille's arm pressed to Fang's side.

When they reached the pond, Fang's arm dropped gently away from her.

"Here we are." She smiled.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" Vanille chirped as she raced away from her and twirled around in the gorgeous clearing.

Their surroundings entailed a crystal clear pond surrounded by several boulders. To the left of the pond was a cliff that overlooked another part of the lovely emerald forest that surrounded the stream on each side. All around the water were patches of flowers of every size, shape and color.

As the younger girl raced around examining all the flowers, Fang mused that she could keep herself occupied for days just gathering flowers to make wreaths.

"Do you think the water'll be cold?" Vanille inquired with a giggle when she finally returned to the edge of the pond.

"Yeah, it will be," Fang replied as she plopped down on a boulder and closed her eyes as though to sun herself. "Have fun."

"You're not gonna swim with me?" Vanille pouted.

"Nope," Fang chuckled wryly.

"Faang!" Vanille whined, giving her best puppy eyes.

The dark-haired girl could hear the girl's expression in her voice, so she refused to open her eyes to look at her. After all, if she could not feel the weight of the other girl's sad expression, she would not be affected by it.

Vanille attempted to convince her friend to join her several more times before she realized that she would not be successful. Giving up hope, she moved to the edge of the water and slipped off one of her boots before dipping her toe in the water. With a squeal that became a giggle, Vanille pulled her foot out of the water and immediately began undressing. The water was absolutely freezing, but she was excited to swim.

Fang pretended to intently study the clouds as she watched Vanille out of the corner of her eye. She did feel a little bit guilty peeping at the gorgeous girl whose hypnotizing skin seemed to glow in the morning sun, and her breath seemed to quicken as she took in her younger companion's every curve. As she wondered what it would feel like to touch the small of her back or the curve of her thigh, her heart began to beat more quickly.

Vanille stood on the shore for a while, swaying back and forth as she debated whether or not to jump in the water, her arms clutched to her chest as she shivered from the morning cold. Eventually she began inching slowly into the pond, her skin prickling with goose bumps from the chill.

When the water finally reached her shoulders, Vanille turned around and grinned at Fang, who had sat up and was looking at her. "Fang, come in the water. It's not so cold."

Fang had no desire to swim in the cold water, but she _did_ want to swim with Vanille—among other things. Mostly other things.

The dark-haired girl frowned as she mused that Konnor should not have told her all that he had and gotten her thinking about such things. Vanille was cute an innocent and still young, though the thought of telling the pink-haired girl such a thing and hearing her scoff that she was no longer _little_ brought an amused smile to her features.

Compelled to join the other girl for reasons that were not particularly pure, Fang moved to the water's edge and watched her friend dunk beneath the surface a few times and rub the water from her eyes. While the younger girl was distracted, Fang quickly undressed and jumped in the water at once so that the cold would not last long. Her breath hitched when the freezing water touched her skin, but after swimming around for a few moments she was fine.

When she was finally warm again, Fang swam across the water to her friend in a few powerful strides. It took all of her willpower not to tug the gorgeous girl into her arms and—

"What's wrong, Fang?" Vanille looked concerned.

"Nothing." Fang shook her head as she realized that she was flushing again.

The rest of the morning was spent splashing, giggling and sneaking glances at each other.

xxx

After the first time that Vanille and Fang had traveled to the pond together, the younger girl seemed to want to swim their almost every day. Fang never wanted her to wander far away from the village on her own, and in truth there was no way to stop her from going, so she often promised to go with her either in the morning or after a grueling day of work. Sometimes she attempted to hint at being too tired to go so that Vanille would take pity on her and say that she would remain at the orphanage, but the other girl never seemed to pick up on her clues.

It would not be particularly honest to say that Fang did not _enjoy_ going to the lake with the younger girl. Even though she rarely swam, especially on the days when she was to exhausted from her workouts, the view at the lake was enchanting—the view being Vanille, of course. Fang always made a valiant attempt not to watch her undress at first, but the pink-haired girl simply could not seem to undress quickly. She would always remove her clothes one article at a time, slowly folding each piece and setting it on one of the rocks beside her. Then she would take an excruciatingly long amount of time dipping her feet in the water and then just standing there for a while.

Fang always had ample time to lose the internal battle and take in every part of the younger girl's attractive form.

The more time that they spent at the lake, the more Fang was convinced that soon every single boy in the village was going to be after Vanille, especially because the younger girl wore less and less clothing every day. The previous year she had taken to wearing a sleeveless dress with a short skirt and a belt of beads across the waist. Now she more often wore shirts that exposed her midriff with lovely beaded belts and even shorter skirts. Once she had bent down to retrieve a fruit she dropped in the market and every male in the vicinity had practically broken his neck attempting to see up Vanille's skirt.

Fang, of course, had stepped behind the younger girl to block their view while sending a glare over her shoulder that caused most of them to look away in shame. (She had peeked only once, but she thought it was okay because she felt guilty about it afterwards.)

xxx

One morning after Vanille had swam for at least an hour, the pink-haired girl lounged in the grass wearing only the undermost layers of her outfit as her skin dried in the sunlight. Her wet hair caused water to drip from her chin and shoulders, but she did not seem to notice, and the clouds passing overhead reflected in her eyes, revealing the depths of her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" Fang murmured from her side, glancing at her with a raised brow.

The two of them lay close together, their arms touching, and the feeling of Vanille's wet skin touching hers was almost too much for the dark-haired girl.

Vanille forced a smile and glanced at her. "What do you mean?"

Fang raised her brow skeptically. "You've been sighing all morning, and I haven't heard you talk in a long time. That means something's wrong."

"Oh." Vanille's eyes fell and she wrung her hands together.

"What's wrong?" Fang repeated, sitting up and looking down at her. "The other girls weren't making fun of you again, were they?"

"No, it's nothing like that." Vanille shook her head and lowered her eyes.

"Then what is it?" Fang smiled wryly. "Is it that time of the month?"

"No!" Vanille gasped, blushing. She twiddled her fingers for a while before explaining, "Matron Tania was talking to me last night…"

"And?" Fang encouraged with a curiously raised brow.

Vanille shifted awkwardly as her voice quieted. "She wanted to talk about boys."

Fang smothered her look of surprise and waited patiently because she was unsure how Vanille wanted her to react.

"She said she thinks I should start going on dates with all the boys that ask me," Vanille explained, keeping her eyes on the ground though she glanced several times at Fang as though she were nervous about her reaction.

Fang felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, but she did her best to suppress her true reaction to the situation. "Don't you usually do everything Matron Tania says?"

Vanille appeared somehow injured by her comment. "You think I should?"

Blinking, Fang inquired, "Do I think you should go on dates with them?"

"Yeah." Vanille glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes, her look so confused and innocent that Fang almost laughed.

It was unusual for Vanille to seek her guidance and look so uncomfortable, since she usually hid her deeper feelings behind her adorable smiles.

"Well…" Fang frowned thoughtfully. "What do _you_ want to do?"

"W-What?" Vanille seemed caught off guard by the question.

"You heard me." Fang shrugged indifferently, though everything within her screamed for her to tell the other girl that boys were smelly and would give her weird diseases or something equally ridiculous just to keep her away from them. "It's your decision, not anyone else's."

"B-But…"

"But nothing," Fang replied as she gazed at the lake and leaned back against her hands. Glancing at Vanille out of the corner of her eyes, she mumbled, "How many boys ask you out anyways?"

Grinning in spite of herself, Vanille replied, "Lots."

Fang pursed her lips. "How many is lots?"

"Want me to name them so you can go hit them all?" Vanille teased with a giggle.

"I dunno why you think I'd hit them," the dark-haired girl replied stubbornly, crossing her arms and shifting restlessly.

"Matron Tania thinks that if I keep turning boys down, they'll stop asking me." Vanille gave a bored sigh. "I wish she would just leave me alone, but when I tried to change the subject she kept pestering me. I bet she thinks there's something wrong with me."

"Maybe she's worried you spent too much time with me," Fang mused pensively.

Vanille's eyes widened and she stared at her.

The dark-haired girl felt her cheeks light up as she added hastily, "Seeing as I've never dated, I mean. I'm sure half the village thinks there's something wrong with _me_, anyway."

"There's nothing wrong with you," Vanille assured her immediately.

Fang scoffed and stared hard into the lake.

"Fang?"

Vanille placed a cool hand on her arm and waited until the older girl looked at her. Their gazes locked like magnets, the intensity of their stares causing both their hearts to skip a beat.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Fang."

The dark-haired teenager felt her heart racing in her chest as every instinct urged her to lean forwards right at that moment, but a sound in the distance caught her attention. Her head turned instantly, ears pricking and eyes narrowed as she scanned the forest line. The sound was familiar, but she could not identify it.

"Fang?" Vanille whispered nervously, dropping her hand.

She didn't hear the sound again, so she relaxed.

"Sorry," Fang murmured, glancing back at her with a frown. The moment was gone, and she honestly mourned it. "I heard something, but I guess it was nothing."

Vanille's eyes widened fearfully as she glanced into the forest. "Do you think it was something dangerous?"

"I doubt it." Fang replied with a reassuring smile, placing her hand on Vanille's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

xxx

Everyone stood solemnly before the sacred burial mound on the eastern edge of the village. Black plumes of smoke spiraled into the sky as the body of the recently deceased High Elder burned on a pyre anointed with sacred oils and orchid petals. Nearly everyone in the village had shed at least one tear for a kind and just ruler, especially after his son delivered a powerful eulogy.

When the funeral was finished, the people gathered for a feast to honor their leader's memory. Even though he had passed, tradition demanded that they leave out a place for him, because the feast was to honor his life, not to mark his death. Though it was a solemn affair people tried to remain positive, sharing only happy memories of the man that would be greatly missed. The majority of the teenagers left the feast before dessert, losing interest quickly in a man that they had hardly known, but the adults would remain until sunrise.

When the other children left, Fang and Vanille wandered into the forest on the eastern border of their town to escape the curious gaze of Head Matron Solstice, who Fang had begun to notice _did_ seem to watch the two of them all the time. Vanille had no reason, to Fang's knowledge, to suspect that anyone might think they were unusually close, but the other girl had seemed to wish to escape from the penetrating gaze of the head of the orphanage as well. So, they soon found themselves in the shadows of the trees surrounded by the quiet chirping noises of the birds and bugs all around them.

Vanille, who had never walked so deep into the woods, remained close to Fang, practically clinging to her arm, which occasionally grazed against the pink-haired girl's stomach, left revealed by her midriff-baring shirt.

"Are you scared?" Fang teased quietly, noticing that the other girl's face was flushed.

"N-No," Vanille lied, her stomach filling with warmth and butterflies as Fang's arm brushed against it again. To distract herself, she asked, "Where are we going?"

"I dunno. I just wanted to get away for a while," Fang mumbled indifferently. "I don't have anywhere in mind."

Vanille glanced wildly around. "Isn't it dangerous out here?"

"Not with me." Fang grinned, stalling her steps and looking down at her. "Are you tired?"

The pink-haired girl shook her head before resting her cheek against Fang's arm and sighing pleasantly. Her breath tickled the older girl's skin, causing goose bumps to form and limiting Fang's capacity to focus.

"Maybe we should go back," Vanille murmured, unaware of her friend's predicament.

"Do you want to?" Fang asked as she battled her quickening heart rate.

"No." The younger girl shook her head and smiled shyly at her.

The two of them walked for a while longer, their hands linked as they continued on. After some time, they found a shallow cave to explore. When they discovered that it was uninhabited, they seated themselves on the cold, hard stone floor and rested against each other, huddling close for warmth as rain began to poor outside and the air grew cool.

Vanille shivered in the darkness of the cave, so Fang wrapped her arm around her without thinking. The smaller girl immediately clung to her, blushing as she buried her face in her neck and prayed to the gods that the older girl would not ask her what she was doing. To her great relief, Fang simply wrapped her other arm around her and held her more tightly.

"Do you think we still would've been friends if we didn't share a bed?" Vanille asked suddenly, hugging Fang more tightly.

"I dunno," Fang replied, her mind racing. As though they were playing twenty questions, she added, "Do you think you'll marry Dellion Tom?"

"What?" Vanille pulled away to look at her, surprised.

"It's just a question." Fang shrugged, watching her carefully. "Matron Tania was talking about it again, so I wanted to know. Will you marry him?"

Vanille shook her head, leaning forwards to cuddle against her.

Fang closed her eyes and pressed her cheek to the top of Vanille's head, breathing in slowly as she dared to ask, "Why not?"

"My heart belongs to someone else," Vanille proclaimed, immediately pulling away from her with a devilish grin on her face. Standing up, she challenged, "I'll race you back to the party. I bet Matron Tania saved some dessert for anyone who comes back."

"Wait!" Fang stood and brushed herself off. "Who does your heart belong to?"

Vanille bit her lip as she teased, "You'll have to catch me first."

The younger girl then turned and sprinted out of the cave.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Author's Note: Here's the new chapter! I hope you like it. :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

"Fang, is everything's all right?" Chief Torren eyed her carefully as the other hunters began to turn away.

During one of their usual exercises, they had come across a part of the forest that had been completely destroyed by Cocoon fal'Cie and their l'Cie slaves. The others had taken it in stride, investigating the area for injured or hurt warriors from other tribes. At first they had been relieved to discover no one in the immediate area, but a continued investigation revealed that a nearby village had been disturbed. The chief had ordered his men, and consequentially Fang, to investigate, but the quick act of knocking on several doors proved that the entire village was empty. A trip to the nearest caves revealed a little under a hundred people who had starved nearly to death. Almost all of them had already passed, but there were a few children and young men and women who had survived.

Chief Torren offered for the survivors to join his village, since there was room in the orphanage for a few more children and the others could build houses within his territory, but everyone but the children declined. They had remained in the cave for so long watching their loved ones die and fearing the return of the Cocoon fal'Cie that they no longer had any perception of time or reality. They did not fear death, and there was no possibility of living on. Their minds were too warped by all that they had witnessed.

"Fang?" Chief Torren repeated.

"I'm fine," Fang grunted angrily in response as a few of the younger children were ushered out of the cave by some of the older ones who had decided to stay behind.

"Are you sure?" Chief Torren insisted, watching her carefully.

"Yes, I'm sure," Fang snapped emotionally, her eyes boring coldly into the ground.

The chief pursed his lips but decided not to pursue the issue as he placed his large hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze before pulling away.

"We're going straight back to the village," the chief ordered as he motioned for his men to surround the children that they had rescued. He glanced over his shoulder at Fang, who was still staring at the ground as she walked, and shook his head before turning back to the others. "After that, we'll take a break for the day. I think we've seen enough."

"Chief, I don't think we'll make it back before dinner," one of the hunters exclaimed.

"That's fine." The chief shrugged indifferently.

For a while they all walked in stony silence, but finally everyone began to loosen up. Everyone but Fang.

While the other hunters began to joke and smile, the youngest member of their hunting team, apprenticed to Chief Torren himself, merely clenched her fists and stared hard at the ground. Her jaw was set and her eyes blazed as though she would find the Cocoon fal'Cie right at that moment and destroy them. The chief did not like the look on her face, for he thought that it was particularly dangerous, so he fell back until the two of them were walking alone several paces behind the group.

"Fang," he exclaimed gently, "tell me what's bothering you."

"I said I'm fine," Fang snapped coldly.

"Fang," he insisted firmly.

The dark-haired girl looked up at him, her eyes narrowed, before she seemed to lose her resolve and cast her gaze away. "I hate this, all of it. I hate the way that we can never know when they're coming and the way that our Gods never seem to do a damn thing about it. I hate that they leave people starving to death in caves while they eat up all our resources. What do they need them for? Don't they have any of their own damn resources on Cocoon?"

"I don't know," Chief Torren admitted as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Fang, I like to believe that everything happens for a reason. Maybe this is a good thing disguised as something bad."

"How can you say something like that?" Fang gasped angrily. "Those people all starve to death, and the same thing could happen to us."

"Yes, the same thing _could_ happen to us," Chief Torren agreed, frowning faintly. "But if we let ourselves think about that all the time, we won't live our lives. We can't fear or hate what _might_ happen tomorrow."

"But what if it does?" Fang's eyes widened as she stared at him. "What if we lose everything? We could lose our lives, or worse, the people we care about. I could wake up tomorrow to half the village destroyed."

"That's true." He nodded, his eyes watching the rest of the group walk ahead. "Or you could wake up tomorrow the same way that you do every day. Don't let anger or worry consume you and ruin your life, Fang. If you do, Cocoon has already won this battle."

"I wanna stop them," Fang grumbled irritably. "I wanna knock one of their fal'Cie right out of the sky."

"Everyone wants that, but it's better not to worry about it," Chief Torren warned her, his steps ceasing as he placed his hands firmly on her shoulders and prevented her from moving forwards. "Promise me that you won't do anything foolish, Fang. You have a great life ahead of you, but attacking the Cocoon fal'Cie would destroy your chances. All fal'Cie are beyond our comprehension, and they are too powerful for us."

"I hate that, too," Fang grunted, crossing her arms stubbornly.

"Just promise that you won't do anything foolish," the chief demanded. His look softening, he added, "Or we'll be out here all night."

"Fine, I promise," the stubborn teenager grumbled, lowering her eyes. "But if anything ever happens to our village…"

"I know." Chief Torren patted her shoulder before turning and beginning to walk again. "You'll feel better when we get back to the village and see that everyone's fine."

Fang thought that he was probably right, but when she reached the village she did not feel better at all. In fact, she felt much worse. Everything in Oerba was beautiful, and even though it was just late enough at night that the majority of the stands had put out their lanterns, images of the gorgeous village at its most active moments came to life within her mind. Her memories of the lovely home that she had known since the moment she came into the world were so rich that she could not part with them. If she ever lost this place, she knew that she would not be able to go on. Everything she could ever need or want lay within this wonderful place.

She never wanted life as she knew it to change or end.

Chief Torren walked Fang all the way back to the orphanage, even though his presence was unnecessary in her mind, and left her at the door with the same advice not to do anything foolish. Fang was unsure what he thought that she would do, but she knew that her promise was empty. If Cocoon fal'Cie ever did attack her village, she would fight them away as best she could. Even if it meant her own death, she would not see her fellow villagers starving to death. She could not let the monsters that called themselves Gods over their people harm the ones for whom she cared so deeply.

xxx

After Chief Torren left her alone, Fang made her way to her room hoping to fall asleep quickly and see her desires come to pass in her dreams. However, when she realized that Vanille was nowhere to be found, she searched the entire orphanage looking for her before one of the matrons finally informed her that Vanille had last been seen wandering into the Western forest hours ago.

Panic filled her chest, for Vanille never stayed out after dark to her knowledge, and she ran for the forest edge faster than her legs had ever carried her. What if something terrible had happened to the younger girl? Didn't she know how dangerous the forest could be? She should never leave the village on her own, especially when the Cocoon fal'Cie might kidnap her and make her their own. She would make a perfect spy for the vipers if they could manage to brainwash her.

Fang didn't know if any of that was possible, but she was not going to take the risk.

The forest was much too large to investigate, but Fang gratefully knew all of Vanille's favorite places. A quick survey of the flower fields, the hermit medicine woman's hut, and the abandoned tree fort revealed that there was one other place that Vanille could be, so Fang immediately picked up her pace and headed toward the hilly clearings to the northwest.

When she finally reached the top of the largest hill, her heart nearly stopped. Vanille lay motionless on the ground, her eyes closed and one hand limp beside a basket of flowers that she had probably picked earlier that day. Fang had never felt more fear than she did in that moment as she raced to Vanille's side and sunk down to her knees.

Taking the younger girl by the shoulder and giving her a shake, she prompted gently, "Vanille?"

The pink-haired girl did not stir.

"Vanille?" Fang cried, panicked.

Suddenly the younger girl sprung upwards, startled from her sleep. When her eyes met Fang, she smiled faintly. "Fang, you're back early."

"What are you doing out here?" Fang grumbled as she crushed the younger girl into a tight embrace. "Just lying there like that—I thought you were hurt!"

Vanille was a little surprised, but she welcomed the contact between them as she wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and hugged her tightly. When the other girl did not release her, she murmured gently, "Fang, what's wrong?"

"It's late. You shouldn't be outside of the village this late at night. The hills are too far away," Fang babbled, holding her more tightly. "Something could have happened to you."

Vanille pulled partially away from her to look into her eyes. "Did something bad happen in the village?"

"No." Fang shook her head, pulling the younger girl against her again as she looked up at the stars peeking out from behind the darkening sky. She did not want to tell the younger girl what she had experienced and cause her to fear. "Just don't make me worry so much from now on, okay? If anything ever happens to you…"

"I'm sorry, Fang," Vanille whispered into her shoulder. "I didn't mean to make you worry. I just fell asleep after picking flowers all afternoon."

"Well, you can't do that again. The forest is just _too_ dangerous," Fang snapped emotionally.

"Fang, what's wrong?" The pink-haired girl demanded gently as she pulled back so that they could look at each other.

The older Gran Pulsian girl refused to release the girl that she was so worried about, which caused Vanille to only be unable to lean back very far. Their faces were close enough to cause their cheeks to turn pink, but Fang refused to allow the nervous flip of her stomach to distract her.

"I just don't ever want you to get hurt," Fang insisted, her gaze shifting nervously.

Vanille was not foolish and could tell that something had disturbed Fang, but since the other girl did not want to talk about it and she did not want to pry, she simply nodded and wrapped her arms around Fang's neck, pressing closer to the girl. Their cheeks touched as they leaned into each other, and the feeling of their bodies pressed desperately together left each girl short of breath.

"Maybe we should go back," Vanille whispered nervously even though she did not want the two of them to break apart.

Fang remained silent, still holding her tightly as though she had almost lost her. A part of her knew that her fears were a little bit ridiculous. Vanille had never faced danger in any of the parts of the forest closest to their village and Chief Torren was correct when he said that she could not live in fear, but still Fang could not imagine life without the other girl.

"Fang?" Vanille prompted, smiling faintly. "Should we go back?"

"Maybe." Fang finally released her, but rather than standing to leave she braced herself against her hands behind her back and stared up at the stars. "Do you ever think life's not fair?"

"Sometimes." The pink-haired girl lowered her eyes nervously as she added, "But then I remember I have you."

Fang smiled in spite of herself, for that answer had taken her off guard, and wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders. "Then I guess I should remember that I have you."

"Yeah, you should," Vanille replied with a faint smile as she poked her in the side.

The dark-haired girl jumped, surprised. "Hey."

"What?" Vanille inquired innocently, grinning. "Did that annoy you?"

Without waiting for Fang's response, the younger girl poked her again, a little harder that time. When she tried to poke her a third time, Fang caught her hand and immediately sought revenge by reaching out to tickle her side.

Vanille gasped in surprise, immediately attempting to pull away from her, but Fang would not let her go. The two of them struggled for a while, giggling the entire time as each battled to be the tickling champion, until they were exhausted and lay beside each other. Fang turned on her side to face Vanille and smiled faintly, appreciating the way that the other girl could not even catch her breath. It was a pleasant reminder that she always beat the other girl in physical strength even if Vanille was better at pretending to be hurt or upset and manipulating others into doing her bidding. It was a good thing she was such a kind girl, because otherwise she might use her convincing power to harm others.

"Do you still think life's unfair?" Vanille inquired with a faint grin as she looked at her. "I hope that made you feel better."

"It did," Fang nodded, grinning impishly as she reached out and tickled her side again.

Vanille, caught off guard, shrieked and began to roll away from her.

Laughing, Fang wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled the girl back towards her until Vanille's back touched the front of her. The world around them seemed to still as she held her close, resting her face against Vanille's hair and closing her eyes. It was almost as though the two of them were lying in their bed back at the orphanage, though they generally did not sleep quite so close to each other.

Vanille felt warm and nervous all over. She cherished the feeling of Fang's arm protectively around her waist and always loved when the two of them cuddled together, but at the same time she wondered if the twinkling stars above had granted all the wishes she'd made over the years or if she was just still dreaming. Perhaps Fang had never found her after all.

"I can't ever let anything happen to you," Fang murmured as she held her close.

As she blushed, Vanille sought to hide her own nervousness as she mumbled, "I dunno why you're so worried about me anyway. You're the one who always leaves the village to go hunting. I'm always scared."

"Don't be afraid for me, Vanille," Fang requested, pressing gently against her because she found their closeness reassuring. "I'll always come back to you. I promise."

Vanille reached for Fang's hand at her waist, their fingers intertwining, as she promised, "I'll always be here waiting for you, so don't worry about me either."

Fang made a noise of appreciation and snuggled against her, feeling more vulnerable than usual.

The younger girl closed her eyes and breathed in deeply as she considered turning over toward Fang and pressing her hand to her cheek. She bit her lip as she imagined the way that her friend might react if she gathered enough courage to request closeness that she had desired for years. Although she knew that Fang cared for her, her stomach always twisted nervously when she wondered how much. Her instincts told her that there was nothing to fear, but her heart quivered in anticipation of a rejection that would tear all the light from her life.

In the end, she gave into her nerves and remained silent, allowing herself to relish in the way that Fang held her close without letting herself question the moment. Her heart beat quickly beneath her breast as she attempted to quiet all the desires that came to her in that moment, and she told herself that she would one day have the strength to look Fang in the eyes and whisper words that could either nourish or destroy something wonderful.

xxx

A few weeks later, Fang returned from a training exercise in the middle of the afternoon feeling absolutely exhausted. It had been raining since morning, so she was eager to escape from her completely soaked clothes and wash the mud stains from her skin. Even though water was scarce enough that the villagers generally only took sponge baths, hunters and their apprentices were expected to bathe every time that they returned to the village. Although the privilege was meant to thank them, it was also in hopes of preventing disease from entering the village. Hunters were generally covered in dirt, swampy water, and the blood of their kills. There was no knowing what kind of sickness might fester on their skin.

When Fang finally passed through the entrance to Oerba, she was ready to run for the orphanage. However, she was distracted as her boot stuck in the ground and came right off of her foot.

"What in the name of…?" Fang raised her brow and glanced at the ground.

Her eyes widened as she realized that what was usually the hard, packed dirt path leading into her village had become a squishy puddle of mud. It was not difficult to dislodge her boot, but as she watched the older hunters struggle unsuccessfully to keep their shoes on, she realized it would be easier to just do away with them in the first place.

"What are you doing?" Chief Torren eyed her curiously.

"Getting rid of these useless things," Fang replied with a small grin as she took off her boots, tied them together by the strings and slung them over her shoulder. Sobering, she grumbled, "What d'you suppose is going on?"

"We'll find out when we get to the buildings," the chief replied with a weary look. "I'm going ahead. You stay with the group."

Fang nodded, though she pursed her lips as she watched him go because she did not want to wait to figure out what was going on.

By the time they reached the buildings, they were ankle deep in water, and Fang no longer needed someone to tell her what had happened. The river had overflowed from the rain, causing a flood to poor down the hill right into their village. They were lucky that there was so little water so far, but the rain had not ceased since that morning and it was beginning to rain even harder.

"We'll have to reroute the flood at this rate," an older hunter grumbled. Grinning at Fang, he teased, "I hope you weren't planning on going to bed tonight."

"By now I should just figure I'll never get to rest," Fang replied with a chuckle. "I'm headed to the orphanage first."

Another hunter nodded, informing her, "Chief Torren will call for us with the bell. We'll need more than just the eight of us, so just head to the village square when you hear the call."

"Right."

Fang waved to each of them before sloshing her way toward the home in which she had lived for the last sixteen years of her life. When she finally reached the orphanage, her feet and ankles were covered in mud and the bottom of her sari was soaked. Matron Essle met her in the doorway with a look of horror.

"You're not planning on coming in here, are you?" The matron narrowed her eyes, her hands on her hips.

Fang furrowed her brows. "I have to change so I can go help them reroute the flood."

The matron frowned before moving out of the way of the door. "When you get back from that, you'll have to clean up the mess you make walking to your room. This is the only building in the village raised high enough that the flood didn't fill our hallways. I _thought_ we could avoid damaging the floors."

"Well, you should always figure me into your plans before you make decisions like that," Fang replied with a faint smile.

Matron Essle could not help but chuckle wryly. "Yes, I suppose that's true. Good luck with the river."

"Thanks."

Fang dripped and left muddy footprints all the way to her room where she attempted to wipe her feet on a towel before entering the sleeping quarters. There was no changing the fact that her hair and clothes were still sopping wet from the rain, but she could at least do her best to keep as much mud out of the room as possible.

"Fang!" Vanille gasped and stood from the bed as the dark-haired girl entered. "Are you okay? It's been raining like this all day."

"I know," Fang replied with a faint smile. "I was out in it."

"I know!" Vanille replied with a pout. "Do you want some soup or maybe some tea?"

"Now where are you gonna get me some soup in the middle of the afternoon?" Fang inquired teasingly as she pulled her sari off and dropped it to the floor.

"I dunno. I just don't want you to get sick."

Vanille blushed faintly and averted her eyes, for all Fang generally wore underneath her sari was a black piece of fabric that wrapped tightly around her breasts and a very short black skirt. Without the gorgeous blue fabric wrapped around her she was wearing little more than underwear.

"I'm gonna have to go for a while soon," Fang explained as she tugged a blue tunic that dropped to her knees over her head.

"Where're you going, Fang?" Vanille inquired worriedly, sitting on the bottom bunk that they shared but scooting as close as possible to where Fang stood so they could hear each other over Aria and the other girls playing a game of cards in the corner. "And why're you dressed like that?"

"Unless Chief Torren sends me elsewhere, I'll be digging a ditch near the river to route the flood water elsewhere," Fang mumbled gently. "Even with all the plows in town, I'll still be covered in mud by the time I get back, which could be long after you go to bed."

Vanille frowned faintly, hugging one of the wooden bedposts. "That's dangerous. It'll get dark soon."

Fang smiled reassuringly and placed her hand on Vanille's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Someone's gotta do it, and we need all the help we can get."

"Then I'll go with you," Vanille exclaimed suddenly.

"Now, _there's_ an idea." Fang chuckled lightly and patted the top of her head. "You just stay here with the others and let me take care of this. We've got plenty of strong people in the village."

"I'm serious, Fang." The pink-haired girl pulled away from her and crossed her arms stubbornly. "I wanna help. It's not fair that you always have to do all the hard stuff."

"Vanille, you're not big enough to push a plow," Fang pointed out, eying her.

"Then I'll use a shovel." She immediately stood from the bed.

"And destroy your hands?" Fang shook her head. "Vanille, you wanna be a jewelry maker. You can't risk an injury."

"What's the point of learning to be a jewelry maker if there's no village left?" Vanille demanded as she moved toward the door. "I'm going, and you can't stop me."

Fang raised her brow playfully as she grabbed Vanille by the hand and tugged her back into the room.

"Let me go," Vanille cried with a pout.

"You can go if you want," Fang replied gently as she released her hand. "But at least change first. You don't wanna ruin that pretty skirt that makes all the heads turn when you walk by."

Vanille blushed darkly as she moved toward the closet. "O-Oh, I guess you're right. I don't want to get my clothes dirty."

The dark-haired girl watched with a smile of amusement as Vanille dug through the drawers for several minutes before her shoulders fell in defeat.

"It's no use, Fang," Vanille exclaimed mournfully. "I don't have anything that isn't pretty."

"Here," Fang chuckled as she crouched beside her and tugged another tunic out of one of her drawers.

"Really?" Vanille's features lit up.

"It'll be really big on you, but it should fit," Fang commented as she stood up and sat on the bed to wait for her. With a teasing smirk, she added, "What would you do without me?"

"Well, I'd never get in trouble," Vanille replied with a grin as she turned away.

Fang chuckled and glanced out the window as Vanille switched into the tunic. By the time the dark-haired girl looked back, the younger girl was appraising herself in the mirror with an amused grin on her face. She did look a little comical in the tunic, which was large enough on her that it hung past her knees.

"You'll need a belt with that," the older girl chuckled. "I don't have one."

"Any rope will do," Vanille murmured as she crouched down and reached into a wicker box under the only table in the room.

The younger girl rummaged around for a little while searching while Fang walked to the window to distract herself from the sight of the other girl bent beneath the table. She pursed her lips as her eyes found the black clouds that filled the sky like the smoke of a forest fire. They were lucky that there was no thunder or lightning to make digging the trench even more dangerous, but there was still a chance that the river would overpower the group of people that Chief Torren would gather and send them all to the next village.

"There we go," Vanille exclaimed, distracting her.

Using the rope, Vanille had been able to shorten the skirt until it reached her mid-thighs.

Whistling, Fang teased, "That's a little short, Vanille. You don't wanna distract all the hunters, do you?"

"I don't wanna ruin your shirt," the pink-haired girl replied with her innocent doe eyes.

Suddenly the village bell began to ring loudly, causing the other girls to look up from their game as confusion swirled in their eyes.

"They want us to go outside in this storm?" One of the girls blinked.

"Come on, Vanille," Fang murmured, wrapping her arm around the younger girl's shoulders as she tugged her out the door.

"I wish the rain would stop," Vanille muttered as Fang ushered her out the door and down the stairs. "Should I take off my shoes?"

"No." Fang shook her head. "You'll need something to help you stay anchored to the ground when you're digging. You're not used to this."

Vanille nodded and shifted uncomfortably. She knew that out of everyone in the village, there was little chance that the adults would want her help over someone else's, but if Fang had to help, then she wanted to be at her side helping her. Even though she knew that it was a bad idea to take up a shovel or even attempt to use a plow, she still wanted to help in any way that she could.

Konnor appeared at Fang's side in the doorway and glanced between her and Vanille. "Nice matching clothes…"

Smirking faintly, Fang explained, "Chief Torren's gonna ask everyone who's able-bodied to come help dig a trench by the river to reroute the flood. We had to dress accordingly."

"He's asking for women and children, too?" Konnor raised his brow as he glanced at Vanille.

"'Course he isn't asking for women and children, but Vanille wanted to help." Fang shrugged indifferently. "No one can tell her what to do."

"And I don't see how it makes a difference that I'm a girl," Vanille interrupted, narrowing her eyes at Konnor, "seeing as Fang is, too."

"What?" Konnor gasped, merely kidding. "No one ever told me Fang was a girl."

The dark-haired girl smirked faintly and wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders another time, tugging the shorter girl closer to her and teasing gently, "What have I told you about telling everyone my secrets?"

Vanille giggled and leaned against Fang's shoulder. It was a little chilly outside, especially with the way the rain poured down, so she was grateful for the shared warmth.

When the three of them finally reached the center of the village, they only had to wait a few more minutes for everyone who was willing to weather the flood water to enter the town square. Fang noticed Chief Torren eying her and Vanille with a raised brow and dropped her arm discretely away from the other girl as she wondered if anyone else was paying attention to them. Even though there was nothing going on between them, as she frequently attempted to convince Konnor, there was no reason to give anyone cause to question either of them about it. She had no idea how Vanille might react to others thinking that there was something strange about their friendship.

The chief stood at a podium with all the villagers who had arrived already standing around him and explained that they were going to use all the plows and shovels available to reroute the flood water. His eyes seemed to rest on Vanille, who flushed, as he explained how dangerous it would be and cautioned everyone to watch each other's backs.

When he was finished, he nodded solemnly to everyone and exclaimed, "Let's go save our village."

xxx

Hours later, Vanille wiped the sweat from her brow with a muddy hand and allowed herself a moment to take a deep breath before she thrust the shovel into the dirt once more. Her fingers ached so badly that there were tears in her eyes, but she refused to give up. No matter where she dug, Fang was always nearby pushing one of the plows with other farmers and hunters. Every once in a while she stopped at her side to ask if she was all right, but Vanille did not want the other girl to be distracted so she always forced a smile and nodded.

In spite of her desire to remain strong in the face of the others, Vanille was beginning to grow too tired to lift the shovel. Several times Konnor, Chief Torren, or one of the hunters had stopped at her side to help her dig for a while, but eventually they always had to move away. The water filling the trench had reached her knees, causing her to feel completely chilled and hopeless. By the time that the water was routed away from the village, she was sure that she would be exhausted enough to pass out and drown in the trench.

"Everybody out of the trench," Chief Torren shouted suddenly. "They're about to finish digging, and when we take down the dam that's keeping the rest of the water from flooding into our little tunnel the current'll pick up a lot."

Vanille dropped her shovel on the bank beside the trench before she frantically tugged herself out of the deep ditch they had dug. The dirt filled the cuts on her hands and irritated the blisters that had formed, but she bit her lip hard to keep herself from revealing her pain because she did not want anyone around her to be bothered. One of the hunters nearby offered his hand to help her up, so she smiled gratefully and pretended that his rough hands did not aggravate her wounds.

"Last call for everyone to get out of the trench!" Chief Torren shouted powerfully. "If anyone's still in there, speak now—and loudly!"

There was silence for a moment as everyone quieted to listen for anyone who might be in danger. When there was no reply, Chief Torren shouted for everyone to brace themselves and ordered the dam to be lifted. The thick boards were tugged out of the river, causing the rest of the water to flow in a large rush that moved so quickly that it sloshed out of the sides of the ditch they had routed away from the village.

Vanille, nervous from the pressure of the water, backed up a step and let out a gasp as her foot slipped on the bank of the river that had flooded. The hunter at her side reacted quickly, reaching out to snap his hand around her wrist and tugging her toward him.

"Are you all right?" He inquired gently.

"Yes, thank you." Vanille glanced nervously over her shoulder, her eyes widening as she realized that the current of the flooded river was so strong that it probably could have battered her to death as it carried her away.

A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump as she turned back.

"You all right?" Fang asked gently.

"Where'd you come from?" Vanille looked both ways.

"I was on the other side of that hill helping Konnor and some of the others start to return the plows." Fang frowned as she lifted one of Vanille's hands and examined it. "This'll take a while to heal."

"I'll be okay," Vanille insisted bravely as she tugged her hand away.

The dark-haired girl shrugged and decided that there was no sense in focusing on the other girl's injuries until they returned and Matron Kalli could take a look at them. "Let's head toward the others. You should've climbed out on the other side of the trench."

Pouting, the pink-haired girl mumbled, "Then you should've stayed with me to help me."

Fang brushed Vanille's hair from her eyes and murmured sincerely, "Sorry."

"It's okay," the younger girl chirped happily. "I just wanna get home."

The rain began to pour harder, causing Fang to wrap her arm around Vanille's shoulders and pull her closer. "Come on. If we walk up to the other end of the hill, there's a bridge across the trench in case anyone got trapped on this side. It's not very sturdy, but I won't let you fall."

"Okay." Vanille smiled appreciatively and rested her cheek against Fang's shoulder.

"Fang," Chief Torren suddenly shouted as he jogged toward them. "Some of the villagers heard thunder in the distance. It's too dangerous to stay out here, but Ecko got trapped in the current while they were pulling up the dam and broke his leg. Can you bring one of the wheelbarrows back after you get Vanille back to the village?"

"Sure." The dark-haired girl nodded, frowning. "Is the break bad?"

Kun Ecko was one of their best hunters, and although he had never trusted her when he was younger, he had warmed up to her a lot ever since she had become an apprentice hunter. The thought that he might not be able to return to the forest with them for a long time left her feeling unsettled, because she had grown to see him as a role model.

"It'll get worse the longer we have to wait, so hurry," Chief Torren replied vaguely.

"Right."

Fang turned away, dropping her arm away from Vanille as she motioned for the girl to follow her. She would have preferred to keep her arm around the other girl so that she knew that she was protected, but recently she had begun to notice that Chief Torren watched the two of them a lot as well, and he always seemed to have a quizzical look on his face as though he were trying to decide something. Fang could only hope that he was not attempting to think of some way to get rid of her, supposing that he had guessed that she was different than every other girl her age in the village.

Chief Torren turned and began to walk away, but he paused when a crash of thunder so loud that it shook the earth rumbled from over the hills to the north.

Vanille was so startled by the noise that she jumped, causing her to misplace her footing. Her eyes widened as the ground beneath her feet suddenly gave way, dirt turning to muddy slush that slipped right out from under her, causing her to lose her balance as she pummeled into the river on her right side. She crashed into the freezing water with a cry of horror and the current immediately pulled her beneath the surface, the muddy water filling her eyes and nostrils as she unintentionally took in a gasp of frigid liquid.

Her legs reflexively kicked beneath her, carrying her to the surface as she threw her arms out to grab for a branch or anything else that might save her. Her fists closed around air and she was pulled under the surface again. The water was so powerful that it knocked the wind out of her, causing her to let out an inaudible cry as more water filled her lungs.

"Vanille!" Fang screamed frantically from the surface, and before Chief Torren could even react to the situation she had already taken a bounding step forwards and leapt into the water.

The older girl's powerful arms propelled her beneath the surface, but the water was so muddy that she could hardly see anything. Before the storm, the water would've been crystal clear, but whenever the mud slid into the river it became murky for several days. It was only a flash of Vanille's pink hair that allowed her to swim with the current until she reached the younger girl. Vanille was not yet unconscious, but her form was limp enough that it was clear that the water had already defeated her. Fang did not waste time as she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl's waist from behind and pulled her to the surface.

When she broke out of the rapids, Fang shook the water from her eyes as best she could and searched frantically for anything that might stop them from entering the surf. Vanille leaned back against her, her body weak and frail from the power of the current, and immediately began to cough, water spilling from her lips as tears washed the dirt from her eyes.

"Fang?" Vanille cried desperately.

The dark-haired girl held her with one arm as she reached out and snatched a low branch. The bark scraped her fingers and salvation was almost torn from her clutches, but she was able to secure her grip at the last moment. There was no time to catch her breath, because she knew that she could not pull the two of them to the shore with one hand and the current would not wait for her to figure out what she was going to do.

"Vanille, you have to turn around and hang on to me," Fang exclaimed.

"What?" Vanille cried loudly, unable to hear her over the sound of the crashing waves. They had reached a part of the river that was terribly powerful, and it was not unlikely that there was a waterfall nearby.

"Turn around and wrap your arms around my neck," Fang shouted.

"I dunno if I can," Vanille replied nervously. "What if I slip?"

"You don't have a choice," Fang replied forcefully, her voice hoarse from both panic and exertion. "Come on. I won't let go until you're holding on."

Vanille nodded, for she understood that their lives currently hung in the balance. Squeezing her eyes shut because she was so nervous, she gripped the arm that held her around the waist until her nails dug into Fang's skin and pulled herself to the side. Fang almost lost hold of her, causing Vanille to scream and throw her arms around her neck as she twisted herself the rest of the way.

"I've got you," Fang murmured as she clutched the other girl to her. "Are you holding on?"

Vanille nodded as she buried her face in her shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her legs around Fang's waist as well because she was so afraid that she would slip away.

"I've got to let go to pull us out of the water, so hang on tight," Fang shouted, her teeth gritted because the pressure against her back was growing too strong. "When we get close enough to the shore, you'll have to climb out of the water while I'm still hanging onto the branch."

The pink-haired girl nodded again but refused to speak.

Fang gripped the branch firmly with both hands and prayed that it would not snap as she tugged herself forwards with all the strength left in her. It was difficult to remove herself from the current, but she placed one hand in front of the other and tugging with more strength than she had ever dreamed she could have as adrenaline coursed through her veins until her entire body shook. Eventually she was only a few feet from the shore, and her body was so frozen from the water that she had gone numb. The only thing that she could definitely feel was Vanille's weak body clinging to her for dear life. The warmth between them was a reminder that she could not give up. The younger girl needed her to pull through.

At less than a foot from the shore, Fang gripped the branch tightly with one hand and prodded Vanille's shoulder with the other. "Come on now, Vanille. It's time to let go and climb out of the water."

"I'm scared," Vanille admitted as she began to pull away.

"I am, too," Fang admitted with a gentle smile, "but I can't pull us both out, and I can't hold on and help you up at the same time."

The pink-haired girl nodded and gulped before she placed one hand on the branch above her head. Fang wrapped her arm around her waist to hold her steady while Vanille released her with her other arm and gripped the branch tightly between her fingers. She then pulled herself upwards, struggling to support the weight of her entire body as Fang wrapped her arm around her legs under her posterior and helped to push her up the rest of the way. Vanille immediately leaned backwards until her back touched the shore and braced her legs against the riverbank under the water as she pushed herself backwards out of the current.

Even though she was safe, she would not stop holding her breath until Fang was out of the water as well. Forgetting her pain as a swell of adrenaline overtook her, Vanille immediately sat up and reached for Fang, grabbing the girl by the shoulders and wrenching her toward the bank as the other girl pulled herself up via the branch. The force of their strength combined was enough to tear Fang out of the water, causing her to topple onto Vanille, and the two of them fell back onto the bank, their feet still hanging above the water.

Fang eased herself off of Vanille and tugged the girl gently away from the water. When she was positive that they were far enough away from the shore, Fang dropped into the grass beside the smaller girl and gasped to catch her breath.

"Fang, are you okay?" Vanille demanded weakly as she turned on her side and rolled toward her.

The dark-haired girl nodded and rolled onto her back, shifting uncomfortably and rubbing the cramps from her arms as she grumbled, "You are _never_ going near the river again."

Vanille giggled, a little hysterical with relief, and dragged herself toward Fang even though she felt too weak to ever move again. When she reached the other girl, she sat up on her knees and began kneading her fingers along the other girl's arms to help her relax.

Fang sighed pleasantly and closed her eyes as she allowed herself to rest. "Thanks. That's much better."

Even though Vanille was exhausted and in pain, she was determined to make up for the way that Fang had had to rescue her. She had tried to be brave, but in the end Fang had had been the one to take care of the two of them while the younger girl panicked. Since she was a little embarrassed, the pink-haired girl was determined to do better now that they were safe.

"Are you a little better now?" Vanille inquired after several minutes had passed. Her hands still ached terribly and her body felt weak as well.

"Are you getting tired?" Fang opened her eyes to look at her. "That's a little selfish after I just rescued you."

"You're right," Vanille gasped as she moved forwards to begin massaging Fang's arms again.

Grinning playfully since she had just been teasing, Fang wrapped one arm around Vanille's back and tugged the girl toward her. "Come here, you."

The pink-haired girl made a noise of surprise as she fell partially onto Fang, their upper bodies pressed together as the older girl's fingers trailed up and down her back. The two of them were soaking wet and still shivering from the cold of the river water, so the warm contact between them was more than welcome. Vanille wished that the rain would stop, but at the same time she thought it was a bit lucky that Fang was cold, because she adored every moment spent in the other girl's arms.

"The others'll find us eventually, and if they don't, we'll have to rest a bit before we go back," Fang mumbled as she wrapped her other arm around Vanille's back.

She was so relieved that the two of them were safe that she was determined to never let go. After all, she doubted that she could rescue Vanille a second time if she slipped into the river again.

"Maybe by the time we get up, they'll have gotten most of the water out of the village," Vanille murmured as she buried her face in Fang's neck to hide her blush.

Breathing in deeply as she ran her fingers through the younger girl's hair, Fang mumbled, "Now there's a thought."

Vanille felt her heart rate quicken as she snuggled against Fang. She could feel the girl's chest rising and falling beneath her, a lullaby that calmed her still frantic nerves. Although she had feared for herself, she had also thought she might lose Fang if the other girl pushed her out of the river first, so there were no words to describe her relief.

"Fang?" Vanille whispered gently, her cheek pressed against the other girl's shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Don't let go." She whispered gently, desperately.

A warm smile flitted across her features as Fang murmured, "I'm not planning on it."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Author's Note: Two chapters this week (nine and ten)! I hope you like them both. :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

It was a cool autumn evening in Oerba. The sun had just dipped beneath the horizon and thick fog covered the ground, obscuring all but the tops of the buildings and stands Vanille could see from the window to her bedroom. In spite of the chilling ambiance, the pink-haired girl hummed pleasantly to herself as she hung a string of protective charms given to her by the jewelry maker to whom she was apprenticed across the nails at the top of the window. When she was finished, she hopped down off of the chair she had propped next to the window and appraised her work. Her beautiful voice carried down the hallway as she placed a bowl on the windowsill and filled it with water. Then she placed tea light candle with a hollow wooden base in the water and struck the match to light it.

"Vanille, I never knew you had such a pretty voice."

The pink-haired girl blushed and smiled over her shoulder. "Oh, it's not that good."

"Well, _I_ think it is." Aria smiled pleasantly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm decorating," Vanille explained with a cheerful look. "It's the Night of Wandering Spirits. These charms will keep any of them from coming in our room while we're sleeping, and the candle will guide them back to the other side."

"Oh." The older girl shrugged. "Well, I've never really believed in that stuff, but you'd get along well with my grandmother."

The pink-haired girl laughed lightly, for over the years she had realized that the majority of the people her age were not superstitious. Although she had never experienced anything that made her think that spirits roamed the land of the living on certain nights of the year, everyone had been a bit more superstitious where she had lived prior to joining the orphanage. She had never really been able to let go of her precautionary rituals.

"Are you going to the feast tonight?" Aria inquired excitedly. "I'm going with Korang."

"Yeah, I'm going." Vanille nodded delicately as she tied a charm to her bedpost with a thick red string.

Aria frowned faintly. "Who are you going with?"

"What d'you mean?" Vanille blushed faintly. "Like a date?"

"Yeah." Aria tilted her head curiously. "Don't you have a boyfriend yet?"

Vanille shook her head, looking away. "I'm just going alone. A lot of the girls my age will be there."

"You still haven't met the perfect boy, huh?" Aria smiled sympathetically.

"I guess not." Vanille shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, don't give up hope." The older girl smiled warmly. "There are plenty of boys in the village, and if you don't like any of them, then there are a bunch of boys in the next village, too. I've never been there, but Karina says they're all nice. She went to one of their dances."

"Oh." The pink-haired girl was unsure how to answer, so she merely nodded her head.

Suddenly the door opened and Fang and Konnor stumbled through the door laughing.

Aria sent them a disapproving look. "Did the two of you get into the wine?"

"No. The matrons would've noticed," Konnor replied, still laughing as he explained, "We're laughing because we just scared Matron Essle half to death. She's superstitious, you know, so Fang and I threw these black cloaks over our heads and followed her down the hall for a while. She was scrambling toward the temple last we saw her."

With pursed lips, Aria grumbled, "That's not very funny. You both still act like children."

Fang, who was well aware of the fact that Aria had never liked her, completely ignored the other girl, favoring Vanille with a smirk. "What'cha doing? You're not afraid of a few little spirits, are ya?"

"I'm not afraid," Vanille insisted, tilting her head curiously. "Are you going to the feast tonight?"

"You know, everyone's been asking me that all day," Fang murmured as she crossed the room and slumped down onto the bed. Grinning at Vanille, she teased, "What I want to know is: is anyone _not_ gonna go to the feast?"

Vanille realized it _was_ a little silly to ask.

"My girlfriend's not going," Konnor interrupted as he crossed the room, pushed Fang's legs out of the way and sat on her bed. "Don't tell me you're abandoning all our plans to be with her instead. This is the only night of the year that it's okay for people our age to play pranks."

"It's never all right for people our age to play pranks," Aria grunted as she folded some clothes.

Her comment was ignored as Fang glanced at Konnor with a faint smile. "You're on your own, Konnor. I'm not risking losing the privilege of being a hunter for anything."

Konnor pursed his lips. "You're so boring now."

"We all gotta grow up sometime," Fang exclaimed, though from the smirk on her face it was clear that she would never reach a completely prank-free state of maturity.

"Speaking of growing up," Aria commented slyly from across the room with an innocent smile that could probably win awards. "Fang, who are you going to the party with? Or all you still all alone? It's a shame, really. A sixteen-year-old should have a date."

"I _do_ have a date, thank you very much," Fang replied haughtily.

Everyone in the room seemed to jump as Konnor gasped, "What?"

Vanille was quick to follow, squeaking nervously, "Y-You do?"

"Who is it then?" Aria demanded skeptically.

Fang placed her hands behind her head and smirked. "Myself. I figure I'm the best catch in the village anyway."

Konnor burst out laughing and Vanille covered her mouth to hide her giggles as she was flooded with relief.

Aria merely scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned to leave the room. "You see? You'll never grow up."

"What's got her britches all in a bunch?" Fang inquired with a frown as she glanced at Vanille.

"I dunno. She was fine a little while ago." Vanille pouted faintly. "Maybe she got a stomach ache."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it." Fang replied, words laced with sarcasm as she rolled her eyes.

"Well, if I'm pulling all the pranks without you, I better go recruit some of the others." Konnor stood and smoothed out his pants before turning toward the door. When he was halfway out, he turned back with a sly grin on his face. "By the way, here's an idea. Since neither of you have dates, why don't you go to the party with each other?"

Fang's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed faintly, but any awkward tension that could have developed was broken when Vanille, who did not seem to understand his suggestion, innocently replied, "Oh, I'm sure we will. We always go everywhere together."

Konnor chuckled and Fang smiled faintly.

"What?" Vanille tilted her head and blinked.

"Anyway, I'm going." Konnor waved at the two of them and left.

Vanille waved after Konnor before seating herself on the bed beside Fang, who was sprawled out so that there was barely any room. "What're you gonna do tonight, Fang?"

"You mean besides stuff my face at the feast?" Fang smirked.

Giggling, Vanille nodded. "The feast isn't for a while."

"Well, first I'm gonna do everything I can to get you good and scared in the spirit of the season," Fang replied with a grin, laughing when the other girl gasped as though betrayed, "and then I'm gonna search for some spirits in the woods."

Vanille gasped, covering her mouth. "Fang, what if you find some?"

"I'll ask them a question or two," Fang replied with an indifferent shrug.

"I don't think you should do that, Fang," Vanille whined, scooting closer to her and taking her hand. "What if they're evil spirits?"

"Are you worried about me?" Fang teased, grinning when Vanille blushed and reaching out to touch her cheek. "Well, don't. I go out and do this every year, and I've never found a single thing."

Vanille felt her cheek warm and lowered her eyes. "O-Okay."

Fang smiled as she suddenly sat up and stretched her arms. "Well, it's time to get going, I—oh Gods, Vanille look!"

"What?" Vanille cried, spinning around and examining the room.

"No, look at the window!" Fang cried, her eyes widening with horror. "What _is_ that?"

"What?" The pink-haired girl twisted to look at the window, her eyes wide and petrified.

"I-It disappeared, but I think it was trying to get in here. I could almost hear it pounding against the window," Fang exclaimed frantically, her face ashen. "It has to have been a spirit."

"You really think so?" Vanille's voice was barely a whisper as she hugged herself.

Suddenly Vanille heard a thud that was so powerful that it shook their bed. With a screech of horror, she immediately turned and dove into Fang, throwing her arms around her shoulders as she buried her face in her chest.

"They're coming after us!" She cried in terror. "Fang, what'll we do?"

"Let's just sit tight," Fang whispered gently, wrapping her arms protectively around Vanille's waist and smiling to herself. "Do you hear something?"

"No. What is it?" Vanille whispered, terrified as she pulled back to look into her eyes.

"It's there. I can hear it…but it's faint…" Fang frowned thoughtfully.

Suddenly the pounding sound began again and the bed shook even more violently.

Vanille screamed again and hid her face in Fang's shoulder. "We have to get out of here. Evil spirits can be really scary."

"I don't think they're evil," Fang murmured as she ran her fingers through Vanille's hair. "But I can tell they want something. I can almost hear them whispering."

"What're they saying?" Vanille gasped.

"Shh. We gotta be completely quiet so I can hear them," Fang mumbled, resting her cheek against Vanille's hair.

A few moments of silence followed.

"Can you hear them, Fang?" Vanille whispered fearfully.

"Yeah, I think I can." Fang grinned widely. "They wanna know where you're hiding the chocolate you always steal during the holidays."

"Why would they wanna know that?" Vanille pulled away and looked at her, but when she realized that Fang was smirking playfully, she gasped and hit her shoulder, whining, "Fang!"

"Well, that was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Fang commented with a grin.

"You're _so_ mean!" Vanille cried, pouting and crossing her arms as she pulled away. "I don't think I'll go to the feast with you."

"If you don't go with me, who's gonna protect you from the evil spirits?" Fang teased cheekily as she climbed off of the bed and motioned for the other girl to follow her. "Come on. I never get to play pranks on you."

"Fine," Vanille grumbled as she stood to follow her. "But I'm gonna play a prank on you, too, and it's gonna be mean. Everyone will laugh at you."

"Careful, Vanille." Fang smirked widely. "No one's ever successfully played a prank on me. Konnor's been trying for years, but I always outsmart him."

"Then maybe I just won't talk to you ever again," Vanille replied stiffly.

With a warm smile, Fang wrapped her arm around the other girl and tugged her closer, murmuring, "That'd be the worst punishment in the world."

Vanille bit her lip as she tried to hide her smile. "Well, you deserve it!"

"Sure I do, but you'd never stop talking to me." Fang laughed lightly. "I'm just too lovable."

The pink-haired girl narrowed her eyes. "Not when you play so many pranks!"

"You used to like my pranks," Fang reminded her.

Crossing her arms, Vanille grumbled, "You never played them on me."

Laughing heartily, Fang mumbled, "Come on. We've got a lot to do before the party starts."

"What do you mean?" Vanille asked with wide eyes.

The dark-haired girl raised her brows playfully. "You'll see."

Xxx

A few hours passed and Vanille walked beside Fang, her arms crossed stubbornly and her eyes narrowed. She was a little irritated with her companion, who continuously did everything in her power to frighten her, using her fear of the spirits against her. Even though Fang always apologetically wrapped her arm around her or promised her that she would stop, the girl continuously seized every opportunity, making Vanille feel sympathy for everyone the older girl had ever pranked. She was no longer having fun, so she was determined to frown until Fang took the hint and finally left her alone.

"I really made you mad, huh?" Fang frowned as she glanced at her companion.

"Yes," Vanille replied flatly, her cheeks slightly red. "It's not funny to make fun of my fears, Fang. This is just like when you and Konnor were making fun of my nightmares."

"We weren't making fun of your nightmares," Fang smiled faintly at the memory. "You were just saying things in a…tricky way—making jokes you didn't realize you were making."

"Well, it still wasn't funny, and you still laughed at me." Vanille pouted faintly.

"Sorry." Fang crossed her arms awkwardly before clasping her hands behind her back as though she did not know what to do with them. "So, um…can I ask you a question?"

"No. I'm too mad at you," Vanille huffed.

"You sure?" Fang smiled faintly, raising her brow. "It's a pretty important question."

"I bet it's not." Vanille narrowed her eyes at her. "I bet you're gonna say 'Here's an important question, Vanille. What's that creepy spirit doing sitting on your head?' Then I'll scream, and you'll start laughing."

"I swear I won't scare you again. I've had enough fun for one night," Fang insisted.

"You said that you wouldn't scare me again four times already." Vanille refused to look at her, keeping her eyes on the ground as they wandered along the southern forest. "I won't believe you this time."

"I swear…on my life," Fang exclaimed. When Vanille did not look at her, she mumbled, "No? I've got nothing else to swear on…"

Vanille glanced at her out of the corner of her eyes.

"All right, fine." Fang raised her brow as though in challenge and placed her hand on her heart. "I swear on my ability to become a hunter that I will not scare you again—tonight."

"You better keep that promise, 'cause I bet I could convince Chief Torren not to let you hunt anymore," Vanille murmured with a faint smile.

"You forgive me then?" Fang grinned.

"No, but I'll listen to your question," Vanille replied promptly.

"All right, fine." Fang smiled, amused by her companion's stubborn nature. Although she forced a confident smile, the dark-haired girl felt particularly nervous as she mumbled, "It's about something Konnor said before."

Vanille noticed the way that Fang lowered her eyes, and her brows furrowed with worry as she tried to remember anything that Konnor might have said that would cause Fang to ask her an important question.

"Would you want to—?" Fang suddenly paused, her entire body tensing as her head turned in every direction.

"Would I want to what?" Vanille prompted, raising her brows at the other girl's behavior. "Is everything okay, Fang?"

"Shh." Fang held a finger to her lips as she strained her ears. Her voice was a barely audible whisper as she demanded, "Did you hear that?"

Vanille stared at her for a moment before her face turned slightly red. "I can't believe you Fang! I really thought you were going to stop playing this stupid prank on me. I—"

"It's not a prank," Fang interrupted, stepping closer to her as she strained her eyes looking into the shadows all around them.

The pink-haired girl attempted to listen for a moment, but when she heard nothing she was even surer that Fang was attempting to frighten her. Placing her hands on her hips, Vanille grumbled, "This _isn't_ funny, Fang. I'm so mad at you. If you keep this up I'm really never gonna talk to you again—"

"Shh," Fang hissed, grabbing Vanille and placing her hand over her mouth as she closed her eyes to listen more carefully.

The younger girl felt her breath quicken as Fang's fingers touched her lips, and anxiety grew within her chest as she examined her friend. The dark-haired girl was completely tense, her muscles tight as though she were ready to pounce, and her breath was calm and measured as though she needed to conserve it. Even though her eyes were closed, her face was anything but serene with her brows furrowed and her ears pricked.

When Fang finally opened her eyes again, she placed her hands on Vanille's shoulders and looked her in the eyes, instructing firmly, "Go back to the village and get Chief Torren. Tell him to send hunters and warriors out here immediately."

The older girl released her and attempted to move away, but Vanille caught her by the arms. "Fang, wait! What do you hear? You can't just go out there on your own. You said yourself that the forest is too dangerous for one person."

"I don't have a choice. If I hear what I think I hear, we could all be dead," Fang replied as she gently dislodged Vanille from herself and touched her cheek. With a reassuring smile, she murmured, "I'll be fine, so do as I say, okay? Go get Chief Torren."

With that, the dark-haired girl pulled away from her, gripped her staff tightly in her hand, and disappeared between the trees, her powerful legs carrying her away.

"Wait, Fang!" Vanille watched her go with a desperate look on her face.

Even though she knew that she should do as her friend had asked and gather the village adults, Vanille could not simply allow the other girl to face whatever she had heard on her own. She would be all but useless to her other than serving as a distraction, but if she could reach her before her friend faced whatever evil was upon them, she might be able to convince her to return to the village and wait for the others. It was with that thought in mind that Vanille raced into the woods after the other girl.

By the time Vanille reached Fang, she was so exhausted that she leaned forwards, resting her hands on her thighs as she attempted to catch her breath.

"What're you doing here?" Fang gasped, grabbing her quickly by the arms and tugging her to the ground.

The two of them crouched together in the underbrush as Vanille caught her breath, and when the younger girl finally looked up to see what could possibly cause such a horrible tearing sound, her heart nearly stopped. A giant Cocoon fal'Cie was tearing trees right out of the ground, and several strangely dressed people appeared to be standing guard. They were looking right and Fang and Vanille's hiding place, but she knew that they must not be able to see them.

"Those're Cocoon l'Cie," Fang snarled, her eyes dark. With pursed lips, she mumbled, "You didn't happen to get Chief Torren before you came running out here, did ya?"

Vanille shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was worried about you. I—"

"It's all right," Fang interrupted harshly, her hand clenching tightly around her staff. "If there's no backup, then I'll just have to take 'em out myself."

"What?" Vanille gasped, turning to look at her. "Fang, you can't!"

"Sure, I can. People can do anything they set their minds to," Fang grumbled as she began to stand.

"No!" The younger girl grabbed her by the arms and pulled her back down. "Please, Fang. Look at the direction they're headed. They're not even going toward our village. They won't hurt us."

"They won't hurt us _today_, but what about tomorrow and the next day?" Fang demanded angrily. "Those bastards'll do anything to kill every last thing on Gran Pulse. No amount of fighting on our side will ever be enough to stop them. Worse than that, they lure our people up to their haven with sweet lies and then they probably find some way to use 'em like all our resources."

The dark-haired girl glanced over the brush and watched as the fal'Cie and its l'Cie companions began moving farther away from the village, apparently having gathered all of the resources that they needed that day.

"I've gotta get them before they get away."

Fang started to stand another time, but Vanille wrapped her arms around her neck and used her body weight to hold her back. "Fang, they're not even headed toward Oerba. They might not know it's there. If you attack them, they'll know there's a village nearby."

"Not if I kill 'em all," the dark-haired girl snapped. "Let go of me."

"No!" Vanille cried. "Fang, you've got to _think_. Fal'Cie and l'Cie are really powerful. Don't you remember the war stories?"

"Yes, I remember them. That's precisely why I've got to do this," Fang cried irritably, placing her hand on Vanille's shoulder and forcibly pushing the girl off of her.

Vanille fell backwards with a gasp of surprise, hitting the ground with a squeak. Even though her shoulder hurt from the impact of the hard-packed dirt beneath her, Vanille scrambled off of the ground and practically tackled Fang into a tree as she was attempting to race into the clearing that the fal'Cie had just left.

"Vanille!" Fang struggled against her.

"I won't let you do it, Fang. I don't care how many times you push me," Vanille cried desperately, clinging to her and holding her as still as she could. Even though the other girl was stronger, she was certain that Fang would not attempt to seriously injure her.

"Vanille, those bastards killed our families!" Fang gasped, pushing her gently away and holding her by the shoulders at arms' length. "They killed your mother and your father in cold blood, and you're not gonna let me kill them?"

"I know what they did!" Vanille replied angrily, tears trembling down her face. "So, I'm not gonna let them take you too, Fang. I won't let them do it."

One look into Vanille's glassy eyes drew every last drop of anger out of Fang as she realized what she was attempting to do. She glanced into the clearing as she attempted to catch her breath while simultaneously tugging Vanille into her arms. The younger girl clung to her, crying into her shoulder as she leaned back against the tree.

"I'm sorry, Vanille," Fang whispered as she wrapped her arms around her back and held her more tightly. "I'm sorry."

"You're all I have, Fang," the pink-haired girl sobbed.

Fang rested her cheek against the top of Vanille's head and sighed, her eyes blazing as she stared into the clearing and bit her lip. There were tears in her own eyes, but she refused to acknowledge them because she was going to avenge her family. She did not know how or when, but someday she was certain that the time would come when she could take her revenge on Cocoon. Destroying one fal'Cie and three l'Cie would not be enough. After all the lives that had been lost…family, friends, allies from other villages… She would have to seriously scar the whole of Cocoon before she could ever be satisfied.

"Let's go back," Fang murmured in Vanille's ear as she finally tore her eyes away from the clearing.

Vanille nodded, pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes with her arm before gripping Fang's hand firmly.

Fang knew that Vanille was holding into her so tightly because she was afraid that it was a trick and she would go bounding through the trees after the enemy before she could stop her. For that reason, Fang made no comment on the desperate way that the younger girl's hand locked desperately with hers. It was only when they were safely through the trees on the edge of the village when Fang finally wiggled her fingers free and paused.

"Fang?" Vanille exclaimed nervously. "Aren't you coming to the party?"

"There's something I have to do first," Fang frowned, lowering her eyes. "I've gotta do it alone, so you go on ahead to the party."

"Fang, I—"

"I promise it's got nothing to do with the fal'Cie," the dark-haired girl assured her. "I swear on everything I've got left that I won't go back into the woods tonight."

Another tear dribbled down Vanille's cheeks. "Do you really promise?"

With a slightly pained smile, Fang nodded and reached out to wipe away the younger girl's tear. "I'll you at the party soon, okay?"

Vanille nodded, biting her lip, and begged, "Be careful."

"I'm not doing anything dangerous," Fang assured her. "Go on then. I'll meet you at the party."

With a nervous nod, Vanille turned and scurried away.

Xxx

Fang pushed aside the old wooden gate and stepped through, shivering slightly in the cool breeze. The mist was so thick that she almost couldn't see the stones marking where the different urns had been buried, but her memory served her well. Her legs carrying her numbly toward the three stones that she always carried on her shoulders, and the tears remained locked behind her eyes as she knelt before the stones and bowed her head faintly. The first time that she had visited the gravestones, Head Matron Solstice had stood behind her with a sympathetic frown on her face. When the younger version of herself had begun to sob inconsolably, the matron had touched her shoulder and told her that everything would be okay.

"Everything's _not_ okay." Fang bit her lip as she crawled forwards and lay down in between two of the gravestones, the only way to feel close to the family that she had lost long ago. She had never told anyone that she frequently lay in that place when she needed to think. "Nothing will ever be okay at this rate."

The fog covered her completely, making her feel as though she had entered the spirit world.

"I know I have a good life right now," Fang mumbled to no one in particular, "but what happens if it all falls apart again? I wanna avenge all of you, but it's more than that. I don't wanna die, and I don't wanna watch the people I love die."

Silence echoed more loudly than sound ever could as she closed her eyes and dreamed that she was once again in the little house in which her family resided before her entire life had changed. The orphanage had been good to her, but Head Matron Solstice had always known that she was such an uncontrollable troublemaker when she first entered the orphanage because she needed to do something to keep busy so that she would not lose her mind. Vanille was not the only one who had had horrible nightmares, but Fang's reaction had carried into her waking life as well.

By the time she had met Vanille, that phase of her life had mostly ended.

"I know I should give up." Fang sighed wearily. "It's like Chief Torren said. There's no sense doing anything stupid. I just can't forget the day they took you away from me."

She lay there for a while longer, breathing in the frigid air, until she was so cold that she knew she had to leave. As she stood, she whispered her goodbyes and wondered if her dead family members could hear her on that night when the mists between the world of the living and the dead drifted into their village. There was no way to know, and she truthfully never had seen a spirit, so she was eventually able to drag herself away.

However, she paused at the cemetery gate, clenching her fists as she murmured to herself, "I _won't_ forget."

Xxx

It was late by the time Fang finally reached the area where the feast was usually held. The fires were still burning, but almost everyone had left to return to their homes. A quick survey of the tables revealed that those who remained were either elderly people paying respects to spirits at little shrines that had been built, volunteers cleaning up the remnants of the feast, and Head Matron Solstice, who was watching Vanille. The younger girl had fallen asleep against one of the tables with a fur blanket that someone must have draped over her shoulders.

Fang felt a little guilty as she wondered how long the girl must have been waiting for her. When she reached Vanille's side, she placed her hand on her shoulder and shook her awake.

The pink-haired girl sat up with a gasp and looked around as though she did not remember where she was, but as the events of that evening came flooding back to her, she looked back to Fang with nervous eyes.

"Where were you, Fang? I waited a really long time."

"I know." Fang frowned faintly. "I'm sorry I missed the feast."

Vanille bit her lip. "Where were you?"

"Come on." Fang placed her hand on the top of her head, running her fingers through her hair. "Let's go back to the orphanage. We'll go to bed."

The pink-haired girl looked like she might protest, but a yawn ultimately convinced her that it was too late to stay awake any longer. She stood shakily as another yawn escaped from her lips and reached for Fang's hand.

With a gasp, Vanille pulled away and touched her cheek. "Fang, you're freezing!"

"I'm fine," the dark-haired girl assured her.

"No, you're really cold." Vanille pulled the fur blanket off of her shoulders and wrapped it around Fang, insisting, "Take this until we get back. I'm really warm."

"You'll get cold," Fang argued.

"No, I won't. I've been sitting by the fire all night," Vanille mumbled as she took Fang's hand and began to tug the other girl back toward the orphanage.

The younger girl was able to hide her shivering until they were halfway back to their home, at which point Fang wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders, sharing the blanket between the two of them.

"It's not a very nice night," Vanille commented gently as she glanced over her shoulder.

Fang smiled faintly. "We'll be inside soon."

Vanille nodded and rested against Fang as they walked, the panic that she had felt at the idea of the other girl disappearing from her life still fresh in her mind.

When the two of them reached the orphanage, they snuck into their room and changed their clothes as quietly as possible so as not to wake the others. Fang was the first to climb into bed, and although her thoughts were muddled by the dramatic night that she had experienced, Vanille was still at the foremost of her mind.

The younger girl slid underneath the warmer blankets that had recently been added to each of the beds and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders as she shivered.

"I hate the cold months," Vanille murmured gently.

"Really?" Fang murmured teasingly as she turned on her side and ran her fingers through Vanille's wavy locks. "I love 'em."

"Why?" Vanille inquired breathlessly, her cheeks flushing as the older girl's fingers brushed against her face.

"I dunno," Fang replied with a faint grin as she slid closer to Vanille, offering the other girl her warmth.

The younger girl turned on her side to face Fang and slid close to her, her cheeks still flushed as the two of them shared warmth until her shivering ceased. Just as she was drifting away to sleep, she felt Fang wrap her arm around her waist as she whispered close to her ear, "I know I scared you tonight, Vanille, but I promise I'm not going anywhere."

Vanille merely snuggled against her, her arms wrapping around her and holding her tightly.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Author's Note: I decided to post two chapters this week (nine and ten) since I might not be able to update next week. I'll try my best. Anyway, I hope you like them both! :) [[Sorry about all the typos in this chapter. I wrote it pretty late. I'll try to edit eventually...]]

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

The morning was cold and dreary, but all the teenagers in the orphanage were lined up in the dining hall with excited grins on their faces, chatting as they waited for announcements from the matrons. That afternoon marked the first day of a festival celebrating the final harvest of the season. During the week of the festival, the remainder of the crops in the village would be taken from the earth and preserved so that they could feed everyone during the colder months of the year. Although the majority of the orphans, aside from those who were apprenticed to farmers living nearby, would not participate in the harvest other than to observe the festival, the orphanage traditionally held a competition each year. Everyone over the age of twelve was given the choice of participating in a game of rice ball for the entire village to watch.

Rice ball was rather simple. Leftover rice from the dining hall was packed into a tight ball the size of a child's head and wrapped in a tightly sewn sleeve made out of a rice sack. Then two tall wicker baskets were placed on either side of a forty foot field on the eastern border of the village. Teams were divided into two equal groups and the goal of each player was to get past the three goalies and shoot the rice ball into the basket to score a point. However, if the basket toppled over and the rice ball fell out, the point did not count, so the shooter had to be precise. Players were not generally assigned certain positions on the field, but team captains usually attempted to match up players with those on the other team who were of similar size or had a weakness that one of their players could exploit. The game was known to become a bit heated, especially during the orphanage tournament. It was strictly forbidden to intentionally injure another person, but the only punishment for unfair play was to allow the other team a free goal.

In the orphanage's game of rice ball, the judges would be Head Matron Solstice, Head Matron Essle, and Head Matron Kalli, who was also available for medical treatment if necessary. Generally the majority of the village children, including those from the orphanage who were not yet old enough to participate, came to watch the game. In addition to that, many adults from the village came to show their support. Venders would line their stands on the side of the game and sell treats and warm bread. The field was even decorated by volunteers.

Vanille fidgeted at Fang's side as she waited for the matrons to begin.

Fang raised her brows, grinning as she nudged her gently in the arm. "Are you excited or nervous?"

"Excited," Vanille squealed, beaming. "Last year I was too sick to play."

"I remember." Fang chuckled lightly. "You almost took my arm off trying to get out the door, or did you forget I had to make Jeni get Matron Kalli while I pinned you down?"

Blushing, Vanille protested, "But I _really_ wanted to play."

Fang laughed lightly and patted her shoulder. "I had the bruises to prove it."

"Sorry." The pink-haired girl pouted.

"Don't worry about it." Fang grinned and cast her attention to the front of the room as Head Matron Solstice stepped in front of them.

"Good morning, boys and girls." The older woman wore a pleasant smile on her face. "The weather's not very good today, but the rain isn't too heavy. Anyone who doesn't want to play in this weather is welcome to leave, but it seems like we should have a great game so you may not want to go just yet."

"There's your chance to leave," Fang whispered playfully in Vanille's ear. "Want me to tell Head Matron that you don't wanna participate?"

The younger girl replied by elbowing her taller friend in the side, which only caused Fang to chuckle lightly and nudge her arm.

"No one wants to leave?" Head Matron Solstice examined them for a moment before grinning. "Good."

Truthfully, the majority of the people who had not wanted to participate—namely adolescent girls, much to Vanille's chagrin—had already opted not to participate by neglecting to attend the meeting after breakfast. Among the eighteen players that had shown up, there were only four girls.

"We have a lot of fun playing this game every year, but we also have to keep the rules in mind." Head Matron Solstice smiled. "All of that will be explained to you at the field, but I do want to remind everyone right now that although we matrons understand that this game can get a little rough, any unnecessary force will be punished. This is supposed to be a friendly game to help all of you strengthen your bonds to each other. After all, this orphanage is a family."

The head matron surveyed them for a moment as though to make sure that everything had sunk in.

"All right, now we'll get on to what you've all been waiting for." Solstice smiled faintly. "The team captains. The first team captain received an honorable mention last year for his heroic goal that won his team the game." Grinning, Solstice exclaimed, "Konnor, would you step forwards please?"

"Yeah, I will!" Konnor replied enthusiastically, high fiving Fang as he walked by her.

"Our other team captain played extremely well last year and was elected by her former teammates to be the captain this year." Solstice tilted her head and smiled warmly. "Mollia, please step forwards."

The sporty redhead whose adorable feminine looks and boyish behavior won her the heart of almost every boy her age in the entire village stepped forwards with a grin of triumph.

"Choose your teams wisely now." The head matron looked amused. "In the spirit of chivalry, we'll let Mollia choose the first player."

"Hey, Mollia, pick the strongest guy you can, 'cause my team's gonna kill yours!" Konnor taunted.

"Konnor, that was inappropriate," Solstice scolded. "Don't make me reconsider making you team captain."

"Aw, come on, Head Matron, I didn't mean it literally."

"I _was_ gonna play nice, Konnor, but since you said something cruel…" Mollia smirked. "Who says the boys are the strongest? My first pick is Yun Fang."

Konnor's eyes widened. "Hey! That's my best friend."

"Well, now you get to lose to your best friend." Mollia grinned cruelly.

Fang shrugged, smirking faintly as she walked toward Mollia. "Sorry, Konnor. You should've kept your mouth shut. Any team I'm on is gonna win, no question."

"Oh, yeah? We'll see about that." Konnor narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as though trying to figure out his next move before proclaiming, "My first pick is Vanille."

"Why would you pick her?" Mollia raised her brows in confusion. "No offense, Vanille, but I mean…"

"Careful, Mollia." Fang laughed lightly as the pink-haired girl glared at the redhead. "She's got more fight in her than it seems just by looking at her."

"Really?" Mollia shrugged. "Well, whatever. I choose San Dollon."

The team captains continued calling names until everyone had been evenly divided into two groups. Konnor's team consisted of Vanille, a thirteen-year-old girl named Evi, and the majority of the boys with whom Konnor always ran around playing pranks. Many of them were Fang's friends as well, which gave Vanille hope that perhaps everyone could just have fun instead of playing dirty. After all, she knew that many of the boys on the other team were friends with Konnor as well.

Vanille bit her lip as she wondered if they stood a fighting chance against Fang. Even though all of them together were most likely stronger than the other girl, she was just so clever.

"Now that your teams have been decided, you may all have one hour to prepare for your game. Do whatever you need to do, but make sure that you reach the field on time or you will be disqualified." Head Matron Solstice smiled faintly. "I suggest that everyone changes his or her clothes if you don't want to ruin what you're wearing. There's a lot of mud on the field."

Vanille examined the strapless purple shirt and knee-length bleu skirt she was wearing with a pout. "I can't ruin this outfit. It's one of my favorites!"

Evi, the only other girl on their team, grinned excitedly. "Don't worry, Vanille. My best friend played in last year's game and taught me this really cool trick. I'll show you how to make a quick outfit out of the pieces of a few sacks."

"Where's your friend now?" Vanille inquired with a grateful smile.

"Oh, she chose not to play this year since she'd rather spend time with her boyfriend." Evi rolled her eyes. "She says they're gonna get married, but we're too young for that."

"It's so sweet that they're in love though," Vanille replied with a romantic sigh. "Maybe they'll get engaged now and then marry when they're a little older. Wouldn't that be sweet?"

"Yeah, I guess." Evi shrugged. "Anyway, let's tell Konnor we have to go change our clothes. I'm not ruining what I'm wearing either."

They walked toward Konnor, who was standing in front of the remaining players on their team as he instructed them to block certain players on the other team and explained why. When he spotted Vanille, the grin on his face was genuine.

"There you are, Vanille." His features brightened. "You're our star player today."

Vanille's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Because you get the most important job out of everyone here," Konnor explained excitedly.

"What do I have to do?" Vanille blinked away her confusion.

"You get to block Fang." Konnor smirked triumphantly. "She'll never see it coming."

The younger girl furrowed her brows. "Konnor, Fang is a _lot_ stronger than me and she's taller."

"Yeah, but I've watched her play every year. She always fights dirty and doesn't mind throwing around the person blocking her, especially if it's a boy. I know Fang won't hurt you, so you're the only person who might actually be able to keep her at bay."

"Maybe." Vanille flushed faintly because everyone was looking at her. "She's still a lot stronger though. She could just push me out of the way."

"If she tries that, just burst out crying or something." Konnor grinned cruelly. "While Fang's fawning over you, we'll be taking the game."

Vanille pouted, since she knew that Fang hated it when she tricked her with fake tears. However, on the inside she _was_ a little excited by the prospect of having such an important role in their game. Fang was arguably the strongest player on the other team, so being asked to block her seemed like receiving some kind of honor.

Evi tugged on Vanille's arm. "Can we get ready now? We don't have a lot of time."

"Sure." Vanille tilted her head curiously. "Are you new in the orphanage? I haven't seen you before, but I'm only a year older."

"I came just this year." Evi lowered her eyes sadly. "My parents had an accident. I have a brother, but he's sixteen and doesn't have enough money to take care of me right now."

"I'm really sorry," Vanille murmured sincerely, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. We're all here for similar reasons, right?" Evi bit her lip. "No one here has family, so I'm kind of lucky to still have my brother."

Vanille nodded, forcing an optimistic smile. "Do you wanna be friends? You seem really nice, and you're one of the only girls our age who showed up today, so you must be really fun."

"It's because my brother's gonna be there to watch." Evi clapped her hands together excitedly. "He taught me how to play rice ball, so I'm wanna make him proud."

"That's sweet." Vanille followed the other girl toward her room. "Do you think you can explain the rules to me? I know Head Matron'll go over them, but I've never played before."

"You've never played before at all?" Evi looked shocked.

Vanille shook her head, smiling sheepishly. "I was too sick last year."

"Oh. Well, don't worry. It's a really easy game."

The two of them walked through the orphanage to Evi's room as the thirteen-year old explained all the rules to Vanille and recommended several different ways to block and steal the ball from others. She continued explaining as the two of them reached her room and attempted to figure out how to transform the sacks into presentable clothing. They used special shears and a needle and thread to create rather stylish shirts that bared their midriffs and short skirts with shorts underneath.

"These'll be distracting for the boys on the other team," Evi giggled as she glanced at her skirt in the mirror and made sure that she could bend down comfortably. "They'll break their necks trying to look up our skirts before they realize we've got this fabric underneath."

Vanille grinned, amused. "Won't it be distracting for the boys on our team, too?"

"I hope not." Evi laughed. "If it is, then we'll just have to do all the important stuff and get honorable mentions. Can you imagine being team captain next year?"

"It'd be fun," Vanille nodded, crossing the room to stand in front of the mirror and look at herself. With a grin, she exclaimed, "We look so cute. We're like twins."

Evi smiled excitedly. "Twins who are gonna kick butt!"

"Yeah!" Vanille turned around to high five her and mused that she was rather glad to have met this girl.

Xxx

When Evi and Vanille had finally finished getting ready, they skipped down the hallway together to meet the rest of their teammates. The other team had already left for the field, and Konnor looked antsy for their arrival as he paced back and forth.

"I think we may be late," Vanille whispered as she peeked around the corner. "Konnor's grumbling about us."

"Do you think he'll be mad?" Evi frowned nervously.

"I dunno." Vanille patted her friend's shoulder reassuringly as they crept around the corner. "Hopefully he won't yell at us. If we leave now, we'll probably get there on time."

Konnor heard them approaching and turned to glare, but the dark look on his face melted away as he took in the outfits that they were wearing. His eyes traced the lines of their clothing, causing both of them to blush, and his features softened into a smirk.

"This is too good to be true," Konnor exclaimed triumphantly. "We'll win for sure. Great job, girls."

"You like the outfits?" Vanille smiled brightly.

"They're absolutely perfect." Konnor glanced over his shoulder at his other teammates, questioning with a chuckle, "How distracted are you guys right now?"

"Not as distracted as the boys on the other team are gonna be. Mollia and Fang are pretty, don't get me wrong, but they're dressed like boys today. Everyone's gonna wanna stare at these two."

"Exactly." Konnor pumped his fist triumphantly. "We're golden."

Although he would not say it out loud, Konnor thought that Vanille and Evi's outfits were the best surprise that either of them could give him. After all, whether or not the boys on the other team were actually distracted, Konnor was positive that Fang would have an even more difficult time focusing on the game when Vanille was dressed in such an attention-demanding outfit. He knew that his best friend could not resist the pink-haired girl in her normal attire, so she wouldn't stand a chance with the way Vanille was dressed now.

"All right. Let's all get to the field before they disqualify us," Konnor ordered suddenly, motioning for them to follow him quickly outside.

Xxx

It was drizzling lightly as they crossed the town, so by the time they reached the field, everyone's clothes and hair were a bit damp. The chilly wind was difficult to bear at first, but Vanille knew that once she began running around the field attempting to keep up with Fang she would be much warmer. In fact, she thought it was quite wise to wear so little clothing even though some of the matrons might disapprove because no matter how much she had to exercise she would not become overheated.

After Head Matron Solstice explained all the rules and stressed once again that any undue violence would be punished, the two teams met on the field, each person rearranging themselves in an attempt to stand across from the person that their captains had instructed them to block. The matrons that would serve as referees stood on the side of the field with whistles carved from tree bark tied on strings around their necks. The players were all anxious to begin, especially because the crowd was quite large and everyone wanted to prove themselves the best player.

As she waited for the game to begin, Vanille noticed that many people were staring at her and blushed faintly. She was a year older than Evi, and her body was a bit more developed than the other girl's, so she attracted more attention than anyone else on the field.

"Remember that you each have to run to the person you're blocking the second the horn is blown," Konnor called out carefully over the pattering of the rain on the ground. "Mollia told them who she wants them to block, and she probably didn't pick the same people I did, so you have to get in the way of the person you're blocking and force them to stay with you."

Everyone nodded in affirmation.

"Vanille, I bet Mollia told Fang to block me, so really get in her face, okay?" Konnor glanced at her over his shoulder.

Nodding, Vanille bent slightly at the knees, resting her hands against her thighs. She took a deep breath to prepare herself for the challenge placed in front of her, because she did not want to let her team down in spite of the fact that Fang was taller, faster and stronger than her. There was little she could do to stop the other girl other than to count on the fact that Fang would not hurt her. She hoped that the other girl would not seek revenge for the way that she had kicked her in her sleep over the years.

A horn signaled the beginning of the first round as one of the matrons tossed the rice ball between the two teams. Every player scrambled for the ball except for Vanille, who turned toward Fang and ran as quickly as she could. It would be too late if Fang reached the ball before she reached her friend, so she pushed herself harder than she ever had.

After the low-pitched sound of the horn rumbled through the field, Vanille practically dove across the line, blocking Fang's path and refusing to move. The taller girl was so surprised that she stopped in her tracks and stared down at her.

"Konnor's got _you_ blocking me?" Fang raised her brow curiously. "Why would he do a thing like that?"

"I dunno." Vanille tilted her head to the side and clasped her hands together beside her back, smiling faintly. "You told Mollia yourself that I've got more fight in me than most people can tell. Maybe Konnor could see that, too."

"Vanille, I know you've got a lot of spunk," Fang murmured as she struggled to keep her eyes locked with Vanille's instead of looking at her distracting body. "But you're not strong enough to take _me_ down."

"Fang, that's not nice," Vanille whined. "You dunno how strong I am. You've never had to fight with me or anything."

"And hopefully I never will, since I'm stronger and I'd hate to hurt you," Fang replied with a smirk as she finally gave in and allowed her eyes to wash over the length of the other girl. She struggled to keep her cheeks from flushing and feigned disinterest as she demanded, "What in the name of Anima are you wearing?"

"Do you like it?" Vanille bit her lip and spun around so the other girl could look at her. "I was worried about ruining my clothes, since I don't really have anything that's not nice, so Evi helped me make this. It almost made our team late, but it was worth it, don't you think?"

Fang's eyes widened as she studied the other girl and opened her mouth to answer.

"Fang, what are you doing?" Mollia suddenly screamed.

Both girls looked up, startled, and realized that while they were chatting on one end of the field, everyone else had run to the other side and Konnor had successfully scored his team's first goal. He was jumping up and down triumphantly nearby Mollia, who had her arms crossed and was glaring at Fang.

"Goal one goes to Konnor's team," Head Matron Solstice shouted. "Each team will return to their own side and await the horn that signals the second round."

Konnor raced across the field toward his own side, but he paused next to the two of them.

Vanille, thinking that Konnor would be mad at her for not paying attention, immediately babbled, "I'm really sorry. I just wasn't paying attention. Fang and I were talking and I lost track of—"

"Don't apologize." Konnor smirked at Fang as he spoke. "You were perfect, Vanille. Let's get back to our own side."

Fang narrowed her eyes as she watched the two of them walk away, but she could not help but return the adorable smile Vanille threw over her shoulder as she walked away waving.

"Get your head in the game, Fang," Mollia commented with a frown, giving her a curious look as she appeared at her side.

"Huh?" Fang resisted the urge to flush as she smirked. "My head _is_ in the game, Mollia. I knew Konnor's head would swell if I let him get the first point. I dunno where he gets off thinking Vanille's gonna be able to stop me, but the real game starts next round."

The redhead eyed her suspiciously. "So that was part of some kind of plan?"

"Sure, it was." Fang narrowed her eyes, still grinning as she muttered to herself, "He's got his plan, and now I've got mine."

"What's his plan?" Mollia demanded, her brow arched.

"A tricky one," Fang replied vaguely, eyeing Vanille from across the field. "And I'm accepting his challenge."

"Well, just make sure you stop him next time." Mollia narrowed her eyes. "I don't want you getting…_distracted_ by the other players."

Fang chose to ignore her, since she was not entirely sure what to do about the accusation in the other girl's voice. The knowledge that Vanille was a decoy to distract her from blocking Konnor changed her entire game plan, because it would be difficult to escape from the other girl without harming her unless she outsmarted her, which she did not think would be hard. Vanille was very bright, but she knew herself to be one of the cleverest girls in the village.

When the second horn rang through the air, Fang glanced at Vanille, who was running towards her, before turning around and running in a wide half-circle around the other players rather than going after the rice ball. Her plan to evade the younger girl worked flawlessly, since she was too fast for Vanille to catch up to her, and she was easily able to catch the rice ball after Mollia stole it from one of the other team's players and passed to her.

Konnor, who noticed that his plan had not worked twice in a row, immediately moved into position to block Fang, who was forced to return the ball to Mollia before Konnor could force her any farther down the field. Mollia caught the rice ball and quickly tossed it to Torre before one of Konnor's teammates could shove her out of the way, and Torre ran the ball all the way to the goal where he practically flew into the air to throw it into the basket. Unfortunately for him, Konnor had broken away from Fang and raced down the field, proving himself the star of the game as he intercepted the ball at the last moment and raced back toward his own goal. Along the way he passed to several different players, but eventually the ball returned to him.

Konnor was eventually blocked by one of the other team's members and had nowhere to go. A quick study of the field caused yet another smirk to cover his features, because two of the players had been underestimated and thus left unblocked by Mollia's teammates. Konnor immediately tossed the ball to Evi, who had to dive to the ground to catch it and then scramble out of the mud to escape from Mollia. In turn, Evi threw the ball to Vanille, who was standing on the other side of the field near the other team's goal with no one to block her since Fang had focused her attention on the players that she thought more likely to succeed.

Vanille caught the ball and smiled gleefully when she realized that she had a clear shot at the goal. There was no one to block her, and each of the goalies was cornered by someone on her team. The shot that she flung at the other team's goal was effortless, and the ball dropped gently into the wicker basket, scoring her team their second goal.

"Yes!" Konnor cried from across the field as Fang crossed her arms and frowned. Smirking at his best friend, Konnor teased, "You better step up your game, Fang. If you'd been blocking Vanille, your team wouldn't have just lost that point."

"I can't block everyone at once, now can I?" Fang grumbled impatiently as she turned away from him.

Konnor merely laughed and returned to his own team, because he knew that Fang could be competitive and didn't want to get punched in the arm.

When Fang returned to her own team, Mollia shouted, "Everyone gather 'round. We're calling a time out, Head Matron."

"It's a little early in the game for that, but go ahead."

Everyone huddled around Mollia and waited for her instructions as the redhead massaged her temples in thought.

"All right, we're off to a bad start, but they've only got a two point lead so we have time to make up for it." Mollia frowned. "The reason I called the time out is because I want everyone to know that there's a mercy rule in this game. Even though we play to fifteen points, if the other team reaches eight points and we don't have at least two, we lose. We need to get a few points right now to keep that from happening, so we're changing tactics."

"There's one more minute until the game starts again," Solstice called gently from the sidelines.

"Thanks, Head Matron," Mollia shouted politely before returning to her teammates. "Fang, I want you to block Vanille from now on. Obviously Konnor's using her as some kind of distraction in each play, so I want you to make sure she's out of the game from this point forwards. She was distracting you earlier, so do the same to her. Everyone else, block whoever you were already blocking, but keep your eyes peeled for the ball and take any chance you can get. Torre, I know you were blocking Vanille before, but now I want you to block Cesor. I'll take care of Konnor myself."

"If I'm supposed to distract Vanille, does that mean I won't get any plays?" Fang placed her hands on her hips. "I wanna take part in the victory, too."

"This is just temporary until we get a few points in." Mollia pursed her lips. "If you can think of a way to be a hero while still keeping your little friend at bay, do whatever you can, but don't let her score any more points just because no one's paying attention."

"I _can_ think of a way, so you just make sure you throw the ball to me when I'm open." Fang smirked as she walked away. "I'll make sure we get our first goal this round."

"I hope so." Mollia frowned skeptically. "Don't disappoint me."

"I never disappoint," Fang replied, winking over her shoulder.

When the horn that signified the third round sounded, Vanille immediately faked left as though she would go after the rice ball since Konnor had anticipated that Fang would not bother trying to block her and instructed her to get as close to the ball as possible. However, her older friend stepped in her path rather quickly, a wide grin on her features.

"Hi, Vanille." Fang paused in front of her, a smirk on her face and her hands on her hips. "We didn't get to finish our little chat before." Raising her brow, she added, "And I'm still wondering about that outfit. Don't you think it's a little too skimpy for a sports game?"

Vanille blushed, attempting to peek around her at the other players. "Fang, we can't talk right now. We're right in the middle of a game. What about the others?"

"Oh, don't you worry about them." Fang glanced over her shoulder. "They look pretty busy."

"Konnor will be mad—"

"Him? He's a baby chocobo on the inside," Fang replied dismissively, smirking like a cat as she took a step closer.

Vanille stepped backwards, smiling nervously. "Fang, what're you up to?"

"What d'you mean? I'm just being my regular innocent self," Fang replied with a grin as she watched Mollia seize the ball over her shoulder. When the redhead began running toward herself and Vanille, she took another step toward the other girl. "So, whose idea was the tiny skirt anyway? You gotta be careful wearing something like that in a game like this. One wrong move and you'll give everyone a show."

"E-Evi came up with the outfits, but I helped sew them," Vanille replied, tilting her head innocently. "There's special fabric on the inside to prevent anything from showing if I fall, see?"

Vanille turned sideways and lifted the edge of her skirt as though to show her. Fang nearly became distracted, but she would not allow herself to let her teammates down, so she decided to check on Mollia again instead.

With a gulp of nervous anticipation, Vanille suddenly burst forwards, attempting to race past her friend while she was not looking. Unfortunately, Fang immediately put out her arm and caught Vanille around the shoulders, reeling her back towards her. She hugged Vanille to herself as she turned them so that Vanille's back was to the rest of the field, effectively making it much easier for herself to watch Mollia's progression. It was clear from the other girl's path that she had no intention of allowing Fang to get the first goal when glory could be hers.

Meanwhile, Vanille struggled against her. "Fang, let me go!"

Fang ignored her embarrassed friend as she watched one of the goalies corner Mollia, making her only option to throw the rice ball to the person closest to her: Fang.

"This isn't fair, Fang. You're too strong," Vanille protested. "Everyone's looking."

"That's the nature of the sport, Vanille," Fang replied gently.

The dark-haired girl met eyes with Mollia and knew that the other girl would throw to her.

Grinning at Vanille, she mumbled, "Forgive me, okay?"

"For what?" She pouted.

Fang ignored her, immediately releasing Vanille with one hand only to wrap her free arm around her waist and trip her with her right foot. Vanille let out a squeak of surprise a she fell backwards, but Fang supported her as though they were dancing together, not allowing her to hit the ground as her arm remained securely around her midsection. She motioned for Mollia to throw to her and caught the rice ball with one hand, cradling it to her body as she immediately lowered Vanille gently to the ground with her other arm.

"For that," she answered with a teasing grin.

Vanille seemed too surprised to answer.

Fang burst into action, racing toward the goal and spinning around a player who had attempted to block her to give herself a clear shot at the goal. The second that the ball left her fingers, the goalie that she had avoided tackled her to the ground, but the ball swished fluidly into the basket.

The audience erupted, shouting praises for Fang while simultaneously laughing at the way that she had passively subdued Vanille, who most people assumed had about as much strength as an infant. The younger girl, for her part, was extremely embarrassed by Fang's actions and determined to get revenge.

As Fang attempted to pass her to her team's side of the field and await the next round, Vanille grabbed her arm and cried in frustration, "This means war, Fang!"

"Bring it on," the dark haired girl patronized, giving her shoulder a squeeze and teasing, "_little_ Vanille."

"Oh, I'm gonna make you pay for that," Vanille muttered as her friend strolled away.

"Vanille, you got a plan for stopping her this time?" Konnor inquired as he came up next to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Not yet, but I'll have to think of something." Vanille pouted guiltily at the ground. "I'm really sorry about that. Fang's just so strong…"

"I know. It's like she's part beast or something." Konnor chuckled. "Anyway, I've got the perfect plan for you."

"Really?" Vanille smiled faintly. "What is it?"

Konnor smirked widely as he leaned forwards and whispered in her ear.

Vanille's eyes widened and she blushed darkly. "W-Will that really work?"

"I'd bet my future on it," Konnor replied enthusiastically as he mused that Fang would never forgive him.

"O-Okay." Vanille bit her lip and glanced across the field at Fang, who was watching the two of them with a raised brow.

When Konnor moved to his place on the other side of the field, Evi slid in next to Vanille and whispered curiously, "What did he tell you to do? Your face was on fire."

"Oh, um…he just said to…use my entire body to block." Vanille lowered her eyes. "He probably said it because I'll be stronger that way…"

"_That's_ what made you blush so much?" Evi teased, grinning. "Are you _sure_ you're older than me?"

"Well, he just said it a little differently than I did."

The truth was that Konnor had told her to make sure to press herself against Fang as much as possible, especially focusing on using her chest to her advantage. Vanille wondered if that would actually successfully distract Fang, since she doubted that Konnor would suggest the same tactic against Mollia. Konnor was Fang's best friend in the world, so if he was positive enough that that would work that he would bet his future on it, did that mean that Fang—?

The horn suddenly blew, causing Vanille to snap out of her nervous thoughts. Without a second to lose, she raced across the field toward Fang.

"Back for more?" The dark-haired girl teased as she watched the rice ball fly over her head. "Well, you'll have to catch me fist, Vanille."

The older girl immediately turned and raced after the ball, so Vanille strained her legs trying to run fast enough to catch her. Thankfully, the player that had caught the ball fumbled it, causing everyone to dive onto the ground just as a thin autumn fog began to roll in. In the confusion of the dog pile, Vanille was able to tackle Fang to the ground by grabbing her legs from behind.

"Vanille, I hope Konnor doesn't have you convinced that you're strong enough to hold me down," Fang challenged as she successfully turned herself over underneath the other girl and prepared to throw her off.

Thinking about what Konnor had said, Vanille blushed deeply as she immediately scrambled on top of Fang and made sure to press one of her legs between Fang's. She rested heavily against her, grabbing Fang's shoulders as though to push her down.

Fang felt her breath quicken as Vanille's soft skin pressed to hers. The feeling of the other girls leg pressed against her was only slightly more distracting than the way that the younger girl's breasts pressed against her abdomen just below the bust. To make matters even worse, the sack that she had sewn into a shirt was not made to bend with the human form, so a bit more cleavage than before was visible.

"Vanille…" Fang gasped, her eyes widening as the other girl seemed to squirm against her. "What are you doing?"

"I-I'll find the strength to hold you down even though you're stronger," Vanille exclaimed immediately, forcing her voice to sound innocent even though she was really just following Konnor's instructions. "I won't let you get the ball!"

Fang's cheeks were red and her heart was racing faster than ever before, but she knew that she would never live down the embarrassment of the other players noticing their struggle. She was grateful for the combination of rain, fog and mud that seemed to conceal them from the audience, but she knew that it would not last forever, so she held her breath, placed her hands on Vanille's shoulders, and gently rolled the girl off of her. As though to completely sever herself from the situation, she jumped off of the ground as though someone had lit a fire under her and took a few staggering steps away. Her mind told her to get back into the game and chase the other players down the field, but she was still rather shaken by the warm tingling feeling that seemed to fill her body.

Vanille, looking just as flustered as her friend and barely able to stand up from the way that her nerves raced inside of her, did not look at Fang as she stood up and ran past her toward the others. She felt extremely guilty for making the other girl feel uncomfortable, but she was also privately quite pleased about the fact that her tactic had worked, which really only made her feel more like a culprit. She just enjoyed the fact that Fang might find her distracting.

"Good job, Vanille." Konnor clapped his hand on her shoulder after the goal had been scored and they had returned to their side.

"R-Right…" Vanille frowned faintly.

"Don't worry. Fang won't be mad at you." Konnor chuckled at the guilty look on her face. "She might kill _me_, but you're totally fine."

Vanille looked away, shifting uncomfortably. "Even still, I'm not gonna do that again, okay? It was…not very nice."

"All right." Konnor smiled faintly. "Playing dirty doesn't suit you anyway."

The rest of the game moved by rather quickly. Fang, who seemed to take Vanille's threat to make war on her quite seriously after the tactic that had left them both rosy-cheeked, became much more vehement about blocking the younger girl. In fact, Vanille remained unable to even touch the ball for the rest of the game. There was a time when Fang had actually picked her up and moved her out of the way so that she could catch the ball without the younger girl's interference. Vanille, constantly embarrassed by the way that Fang could so easily overpower her, had responded by playing just as hard. Fang was about to make a heroic catch at one point in the game, but Vanille, determined not to see the other girl succeed after the way that she had constantly stopped her, actually jumped on her back and covered her eyes with her hands, drawing laughter from the entire crowd. Fang had not wanted to throw her off because that might hurt her, so she had had no choice but t let he teammates go after the ball as she struggled to think of a passive way to defeat the other girl.

When the last round of the game finally arrived, the teams were tied with fourteen points each. All the players were exhausted, covered in mud, and soaked from the rain. Even though everyone had enjoyed themselves, they were all ready for the game to be over, especially because it might take hours for each of them to sponge all of the dirt off of themselves in the stalls at the orphanage.

"This is the final round," Head Matron Solstice explained dramatically over the sound of the cheering audience. "Whoever scores this point will win the game."

Each time was given one minute to huddle, so Konnor pulled all his teammates close for one last speech.

"All right, here's the game plan. We need to keep Fang at bay because she's their fastest runner. Vanille, I'll leave that to you since you seem to have her under control at this point." Pausing to grin, he added, "Jumping on her back like that was a nice touch. You definitely got revenge for what she did to you earlier."

Vanille grinned proudly, causing the rest of her teammates to laugh.

"Everyone else keep your eyes on Torre, Mollia and Devin. They're the best three players on the team besides Fang. Get to the goal no matter what, and don't let them have that ball. I want to destroy them."

"What if they catch the ball when the horn blows?" Vanille asked.

"They won't," Konnor assured her with a confident smile.

On the other side of the field, Mollia gave her own speech.

"We've all played really well today, so it's time to go for the gold," Mollia exclaimed with a pleasant smile. "This team's got a pretty good lineup, but we're better. We're all strong, so I wanna see some tackling this round. The game's been too civil so far. If we have to make them eat dirt to get that final goal, I'm okay with it."

A few players cheered.

Mollia took a moment to chuckle at their reaction before her face grew serious again. "Torre, make sure you tail Fang during this round. If she's open to make the final goal, make sure Vanille doesn't stop her."

"Don't worry about Vanille," Fang argued, narrowing her eyes. "I'll take care of her."

Mollia frowned but nodded. "Okay, fine, but don't let her take this from us."

"I said I'll take care of her," the dark-haired girl replied dismissively.

"Okay." Mollia laughed before turning to the others with a grin. "Just to encourage all of you, I've got a little surprise for whoever scores the final goal. We dragged a chair down here so that the rest of us can carry the winner back to the orphanage. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"What if the winner's too heavy?"

"No one here is too heavy for all of us," Mollia argued, grinning. "Now, get out there and show the other team what we've got."

Everyone cheered before racing away. As she watched the others move down the field, Mollia placed her hand on Torre's shoulder and held him back.

"Fang's crazy if she thinks I don't see the way she let's Vanille get away with whatever she wants," Mollia mumbled quietly. "Obviously she doesn't have what it takes to neutralize Vanille, so don't hold back just because she's a girl. Get in there and stop her so she can't stop Fang."

"Are you sure she can stop Fang? She looks harmless," Torre argued.

"Don't you see that that's just what Konnor's been counting on this entire game?" Mollia snapped. "Just stop her."

Torre shrugged and nodded before racing to his place on the field and listening for the horn.

The second that the horn sounded, everyone on the entire field seemed to run for the ball and several struggles ensued. Eventually it came down to Mollia and Konnor struggling to take the ball from each other, but Konnor was ultimately able to overpower her, shoving her out of the way. He crouched down with the ball in his arms to escape the horde of people without being noticed, but Fang was immediately on his tail as he raced across the field toward the other team's goal.

Vanille chased after Fang as quickly as her legs would carry her, but she was unable to catch her before the other girl had taken the ball from Konnor and turned the other direction. The younger girl tried to keep up with her, but she was not given the chance because several other members of her team cornered Fang, tackling her to the ground in a giant mass, and reclaimed the ball. When the other girl sprung up to catch them, Vanille jumped in front of her. However, Fang was too quick to spin around her and keep running.

With a pout of frustration at being matched with someone who was clearly too fast for her, Vanille immediately lurched forwards. A hand on her shoulder stopped her acceleration, snapping her backwards as a shoulder rammed into her back. Vanille shrieked in pain and surprise, falling forwards and landing mostly on her left knee, which was wrenched in a way that caused her to cry out loudly. She immediately turned no her side and hugged the wounded limb close to herself as she looked up at her attacker with tears in her eyes.

Torre did not appear to care that he had injured her as he looked around for someone else to engage.

Fang, hearing the other girl scream, immediately abandoned her quest for the ball and turned around to see what had happened. When her eyes found Torre standing a few paces behind Vanille without a care in the world, her fists clenched involuntarily. She attempted to control herself by reminding herself that she would be disqualified if she just marched up to him and punched him in the face, Fang stomped toward him to give him a piece of her mind.

Her anger was a little greater than she had anticipated, causing her to grab Torre by the shirt collar and get in his face.

"What're you doing, Fang? I'm on _your_ team," Torre gasped, looking shocked. "Do you want us to lose? Get out there and help Mollia."

"You know, I don't really give a damn whether we win or lose," Fang snapped, wrenching him sideways so that he was forced to look at Vanille, who was watching the two of them with wide eyes. "She's hurt. Are you gonna apologize?"

"Apologize? This is a violent game, Fang," Torre protested irritably. "If she couldn't take it, she should've decided not to play like the orphanage girls who knew what was good for 'em."

"What's that about girls?" Fang shouted angrily.

Torre's eyes widened as he seemed to realize his mistake. "Er…"

"If you ever do something like that to Vanille again," Fang growled irritably, "I'll show you just how violent this game can really get. Got it?"

He had no time to answer as Fang shoved him hard and he flopped onto his back with a grunt of surprise.

Fang immediately crouched at Vanille's side, placing one hand on the younger girl's cheek and the other on her shoulder. She smiled sympathetically when Vanille leaned into her touch.

"Are you okay?" Fang demanded worriedly.

"Fang, my team just got the ball," Vanille protested with a faint smile as she pointed to the other end of the field where Mollia was screaming for her teammates to get Konnor. "You have to help them. Don't worry about me."

"I'm always worrying about you," Fang replied with a playful grin as she examined the nasty black and blue splotch forming on her knee. "Does it hurt badly?"

Vanille shook her head. "I'll be okay. Just finish the game so Matron Kalli can come look at it, okay?"

Fang nodded and tenderly brushed her bangs out of her face. "I'm gonna go win the game and then I'll be right back."

Vanille nodded, grinning in spite of her pain. "Good luck, Fang!"

Fang saluted her before racing down the field after Konnor. Torre, who seemed to realize what had had done, glanced over at Vanille with a sheepish look. "I'm sorry for tackling you so hard back there. I got caught up in the game."

"It's okay," Vanille replied nervously as she forced herself to sit up.

Her knee hurt pretty badly, but she thought she would probably be okay. Since she couldn't stand up on her own, she watched the rest of the game from her spot on the ground.

Just when Konnor was about to score the goal that would win the game, Fang snatched the ball right out of his hands and raced down the field. Irritated, Konnor chased after her and tackled her to the ground, but Fang threw the ball to Mollia. The redhead then tossed the ball to one of her faster teammates, who carried it down the field and threw it toward Konnor's goal. One of the goalies managed to escape the person blocking him long enough to kick the rice ball away from the goal at the cost of his ankle, which almost immediately began to swell. In the confusion of the goalie's injury, Evi was able to snatch up the ball and run around the goalies, but Mollia stopped her by firmly snatching the ball out of her hands. When she was seconds from winning the game, Konnor appeared out of nowhere and tripped her, causing her to fumble the ball. Once again, the rice ball was swept toward the other side of the field, but Torre, who was still on the ground, stuck his foot out to trip Konnor. When the ball fumbled for what seemed like the hundredth time, Fang picked it up ad ran to the goal so quickly that no one could catch her. The moment that she triumphantly slammed the ball into the goal caused the crowd to erupt with applause and cheers.

"The game goes to Mollia's team!" Head Matron Solstice cried excitedly, clapping as she walked onto the field. "Yun Fang, having scored the final goal, will be a captain next year if she is still living in the orphanage."

Those words caught Vanille's attention, but she was distracted by Matron Kalli, who appeared at her side to tend to her knee.

"Fang, you did it!" Mollia cheered, high fiving her as her other teammates appeared to congratulate her. "Whenever you're ready, we'll carry you back to the orphanage."

"I'll pass," Fang exclaimed as her worried eyes traveled down the field to where Vanille sat in the mud cringing in pain as Matron Kalli gave her some relieving herbs to chew. "It looks like someone else needs carrying for now."

Mollia frowned curiously. "You really care about her, huh?"

_More than anything_, Fang thought, though she did not voice the words aloud. As she began to move away, she mumbled over her shoulder, "Good game, guys! I'll see you back at the orphanage later."

Fang quickly crossed the field and crouched at Vanille's side, placing her hand on the thigh of her uninjured leg as she glanced at Matron Kalli. "What's the verdict?"

"She should stay off her knee for a day or two, but it isn't a serious injury. It's just badly bruised." The medicine woman frowned faintly. "Someone will have to carry you, Vanille. I'll send for a wheelbarrow."

"Don't bother." Fang immediately offered, "I'll take care of her."

"Are you sure? It's a long way back." Matron Kalli raised her brows.

"It's not _that_ far." Fang smiled. "Besides, I've done this before. This one gets pretty lazy when she's been in the flowers all day."

"I do _not_ get lazy," Vanille argued, sticking her tongue out.

"Then what do you call it?" Fang teased, raising her brow playfully.

Matron Kalli smiled faintly at the two of them. "Well, I'll let you get going then. Put some ice on that knee later, Vanille. You don't want it to swell."

"Okay." Vanille nodded obediently before glancing at Fang and biting her lip. "How're you gonna carry me? I can't even get up."

"Sure you can. I'll help." Fang pulled Vanille's arm over her shoulder and gently lifted the girl onto one foot. "When I turn around, hold onto my shoulders for balance while I'm crouching down. Then just wrap your arms around my neck."

"What if I slip?" Vanille inquired nervously.

"I won't let you slip," Fang assured her.

Matron Kalli watched with an amused smile as Fang helped the other girl onto her back, and when the head matron came up beside her to ask what was going on, the two of them shared a hushed conversation, both chuckling lightly.

"Are you all right?" Fang asked over her shoulder when Vanille was finally settled.

The younger girl nodded.

"Then we're off." Fang glanced at the matrons over her shoulder and demanded with a faint grin, "What're you all staring at?"

Everyone seemed to laugh as Fang turned to carry Vanille back to the orphanage. The younger girl was fairly light, so it was not actually uncomfortable to give her a piggyback ride.

Vanille did not want everyone to see the way that her face flushed, so she wrapped her arms tightly around Fang's neck and buried her face in the back of her shoulder as they walked. The rain began to pour even harder, causing her to shiver against her friend as she listened to the sound of Fang's boots sloshing through the mud. Even though the weather was terrible and it was cold, she was grateful that her friend cared about her enough to help her.

Xxx

"We're almost there," Fang mumbled eventually.

Vanille opened her eyes and looked up expecting to see the orphanage, but their surroundings were unfamiliar to her.

Nervously, she inquired, "Fang, where are we?"

"It's a surprise."

Vanille pouted. "I don't have the energy for a surprise."

"You don't need energy for this surprise," Fang replied teasingly.

Fang carried Vanille inside of a small building with a homey front room decorated in bright colored paints and flowers with ornate clay vases. She noticed that there were several long hallways leading away from the room, but she could not begin to guess where they were.

Setting Vanille gently down and pulling the girl's arm over her shoulder, Fang inquired, "Think you can limp from here? The ceiling's a bit low. I don't wanna bump your head."

"Where are we?" Vanille repeated nervously.

"This is the hunters' bath house." A small grin grew on Fang's features. "I thought you'd like to clean up after the game."

"A bath house?" Vanille's eyes widened. "You mean, there are actual tubs with warm water? Hunters are allowed to bathe whenever they want?"

"Yep. That's one of our privileges," Fang replied with a grin.

"I'm so jealous!" Vanille whined.

"You could always become a hunter," Fang joked.

Vanille smiled faintly at that. "Am I allowed to be here? I don't wanna get you in trouble."

"We won't get in trouble. There's no one here to see you, since no one went out to hunt today. So, how about it? I know you usually only get to take a full bath twice a month in the orphanage. Wouldn't you rather get rid of the mud the easy way than sponge it all off later?"

"I'd love to," Vanille replied gently.

"I bet everyone who played in the game would love to."

Fang and Vanille both jumped as Chief Torren appeared from one of the back hallways running a towel through his wet hair.

Knowing that she was caught but unwilling to turn back, Fang complained, "Oh, come on, Chief Torren. You're not gonna make us leave, are you? Vanille's hurt. A soak in the tub will do her good, and it's not like she could really stand up to clean herself in the orphanage stalls."

"She'll have to stand up in the stalls here to rinse herself off first anyway." Chief Torren eyed them curiously. "Will you help her?"

Fang flushed faintly, for she had not considered that. "If she needs me to."

"These baths are meant for the hunters," Chief Torren reminded Fang.

Crossing her arms stubbornly, Fang grumbled, "Well, I guess you'll just have to go tell Head Matron on me because I've already got her here and I'm not gonna tell her no after I already got her hopes up."

"It wouldn't be right for me to tell Solstice anything since I didn't see you here," Chief Torren replied with a yawn before turning down another hallway. Over his shoulder, he called, "Oh, and Fang? Make sure you clean up if you get dirt everywhere."

Fang stared after him, her eyes wide. "Sure thing."

"We didn't get in trouble." Vanille giggled happily. "Fang, I thought you said Chief Torren never lets you get away with anything."

"He usually doesn't, but maybe he's got a soft spot for cute girls like you," Fang replied, raising her brow and grinning playfully when the younger girl blushed. "Come on. I'll help you limp. Think of me as a crutch."

"I'm tired. Can't you just carry me?" Vanille gave her puppy eyes.

"The ceiling's too low," Fang replied with a chuckle. "Come on. You've got your first hunt next year. You've gotta be strong on your own sometimes."

"I don't wanna go on my first hunt," Vanille protested.

"If we're lucky, Chief Torren'll let me go with you."

When the two of them reached the room that Fang usually used, Vanille gasped at the beauty of it all. The walls were green and blue and the floor was made of tile.

The baths were filled with natural spring water, which was then boiled and left to cool. Fang doubted that the water would be very warm that day, since no one was expected to use the tubs, but she knew that it would be relaxing nonetheless.

"This place is so pretty," Vanille chirped as she studied the designs painted on the walls.

"Yeah, it's nice." Fang motioned toward the stalls at the end of the room. "First you'll have to pour some soapy water on yourself to rinse most of the mud off. Then we can get in the tub."

Vanille was embarrassed by the idea of allowing Fang to help her wash herself, so she assured her friend that she would be fine and limped into her own stall. It took her a while to strip off her tight clothes and pour enough water over herself to rinse away the mud, so by the time she was finished and had wrapped a towel around herself, Fang had already gotten into the tub. She noticed that her friend had worn her towel into the water, so she did the same.

"Do you usually wear a towel?" Vanille inquired gently as she struggled to climb in.

Fang immediately stood up, water dripping from her hair, shoulders, and the towel that clung to her attractive form, and helped to support the other girl as she slid into the tub.

"I don't when I'm alone," Fang explained conversationally, "but usually there's a bunch of hunters in the tub together, and it's not polite flashing your privates around, so we all wear towels. I especially have to, since they're really not used to having a girl around."

"Do they ogle you?" Vanille giggled.

"'Course they do. I'm gorgeous," Fang teased as she sank back into the water. "How's your knee feel? I mixed some healing herbs into the water while you were cleaning up."

"It feels all right." Vanille scooted shyly closer. "Thanks for helping me."

"No problem." Fang wrapped her arm slowly around Vanille's shoulders, gathering her confidence as she pulled the younger girl closer to her and rested her cheek against her wet hair. "I'll be taking you back to the orphanage the same way I got you here, since I don't think the limping is good for you."

Vanille made a noise of acknowledgement as she closed her eyes and timidly rested her cheek against Fang's shoulder. The feeling of the older girl's wet skin against her cheek was so inviting that before she knew what she was doing she had wrapped her arms around Fang and pressed against her. Her cheeks lit up red like roses, but she knew that Fang could not see her face.

Fang felt her features softening as she peeked down at the younger girl. "Is everything all right?"

"Mm-hmm," Vanille buried her blushing face deeper in Fang's shoulder, nuzzling against her. "Thanks for letting me come here. This is really relaxing."

Fang wrapped her arms slowly around the younger girl and waited to wake up from what had to be a wonderful dream. "I agree. Maybe I should sneak you in here more often."

Vanille giggled and pulled back to look at her. "Do you think Chief Torren would let you? This place is so nice."

"I dunno if I could get away with it, but I'll try." Fang frowned faintly. "Though honestly, you might not wanna come on a regular day. Usually this place is crawling with hunters who've been out for a week or so and haven't gotten back to their wives yet. I'm sure they wouldn't _mind_ if you were here, but considering how pretty you are, it's probably not a good idea."

Vanille grinned brightly. "You think I'm pretty?"

"You _don't_ think you're pretty?" Fang eyed her skeptically.

The younger girl merely grinned happily, wrapping her arms around Fang's neck another time as she leaned against her.

Fang smiled warmly, holding Vanille close to her as she mused that she would definitely be bringing her back to the bathhouse. In fact, she suddenly had the urge to bring Vanille anywhere that they could be alone on as regular a basis as possible. Her most cherished moments were those when the two of them could be close. After all, it was difficult to imagine, as Vanille's fingers traced a timid pattern along her collar bone, that she was alone in her feelings. It had been easier not to notice the way that the other girl looked at her when they were younger.

Vanille suddenly pulled away from her, looking down into the dark water. "I think there must be some soap left on the bottom of the tub."

"Why's that?" Fang raised her brow, mourning the loss of the other girl's embrace.

"I can feel it beneath my foot." Vanille giggled. "It's really slippery."

"Be careful." Fang smiled.

"I will." In spite of her words, Vanille almost immediately slipped into the water, crying out in surprise.

"Vanille!"

Fang reflexively reached for her, taking her arm in one hand and touching the small of her back with the other as she pulled her out of the water and pressed the other girl to herself.

"Are you okay? I—" Fang paused, her eyes widening as she felt the slippery skin beneath her fingers. "Vanille, your towel…"

Vanille flushed and peeked down at the way that the water rippled around her chest, revealing a bit more cleavage than before as her body pressed against Fang's towel. With a nervous giggle, she murmured, "It's lucky this water's opaque from all the bath salts."

"Yeah, very lucky…" Fang replied distractedly as she watched Vanille's towel float on top of the water. Her hand nearly shook against the bare small of Vanille's back. Her skin was just so warm and silky, and the only thing between them was Fang's towel.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea to bring you back here after all," Fang mumbled with a thoughtful frown.

"Why not?" Vanille pouted innocently, her hands pressing to Fang's shoulders so that she would not slip again. "I know I'm clumsy, but you were here to help."

"Well, you know, Chief Torren and all…"

Fang suddenly leaned forwards and reached out to snatch her towel back from the other side of the tub. As she handed it to Vanille, she mused that it had been fine to swim naked together in the lake because the two of them had not been so close to each other, but the tub was so small that it was much more difficult to resist all the desires that floated around in her mind.

"Oh, right." Vanille took a step away so that she could wrap the towel around herself again. "I don't want you to get in trouble, Fang."

"I'm already in trouble," Fang mumbled, her mouth feeling dry as she watched the water wishing that it was not quite so opaque.

"What d'you mean?" Vanille tilted her head curiously.

"Hm? Nothing." Fang pretended to yawn. "Maybe we should get out and head back."

"But this is so relaxing." Vanille pouted. "We've hardly been in for half an hour. If I can't come back again, I want to really enjoy myself."

"Well, with your knee and all…"

"Don't worry about me, Fang," Vanille murmured as she moved closer, nestling against the older girl and timidly snuggling into her arms. "Please, can we stay just for a little while?"

The bare skin of Vanille's leg brushed against Fang's thigh, and the contact between their skin caused her to breathe in deeply.

"Okay," Fang murmured breathlessly, running her fingers up Vanille's back as she tried desperately to control herself. "But only a little longer."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Author's Note: I'm not sure exactly when Vanille's birthday is, so for the purposes of this story her birthday is sometime in the fall. I hope everyone likes this chapter! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

A few hours after sunrise on a warm autumn day, Fang awoke to golden beams of sunlight caressing her cheek and a feeling of tranquility washing over her like a cool summer rain. She was completely alone in the room she generally shared with many other girls, which meant that none of her roommates would spontaneously burst out laughing or awaken her with the usual gossipy tales. That coupled with the knowledge that she had no commitments that day and could sleep as late as she wanted made her morning absolutely perfect.

One thing—or rather, one _person_—was missing from her wonderful morning, but she made her peace with that fact rather quickly because she knew that Vanille would have already left for the silly orphanage's annual apple picking day. On that one day of the year, those who were so inclined could go to a local farmer's apple orchard and fill a basket with as many free apples as possible. Since apples were rather expensive, they were a rare treat in the orphanage, so most of the other orphans took advantage of the day every single year. However, Fang had never been keen on the taste of an apple. Though she enjoyed treats made from apples like cakes and pies, there was little that could convince her to leave at the crack of dawn when the others had awoken her with their excited giggles in search of something that she did not really even want to eat.

On any usual day, Fang would have awoken hours ago to join the full-fledged hunters on one of their morning hunts and then she would have spent the rest of the day busy training. However, it was one of the rare days of the year when Chief Torren had to complete duties to the village for the entire day, so he had canceled all of Fang's commitments and told her to enjoy herself. While she was certain that he had assumed she would want to partake in the apple festivities, Fang was content to sleep for the entire day aside from meal times. So, with a pleasant smile on her face, the young apprentice hunter snuggled into her covers and closed her eyes to await the sweet dreams that always seemed to tease her, urging her to allow them to carry into reality with a simple admission that would change her life no matter what the outcome.

She was not sure whether or not she was ready for the potential repercussions of blurting out the secret that burned inside of her, so she would accept just the dreams for the time being.

"Fang!"

The dark-haired girl stirred slightly from her light sleep, her mind feeling fuzzy as she wondered why the voice echoing through her mind sounded so familiar.

"Fang, are you still sleeping?"

A soft hand touched her bare shoulder, causing her skin to prickle in her sleep, and light giggles rang through the air as the hand began to nudge her.

"Come on, Fang. You're usually up so early. Why are you still sleeping?"

Though she was beginning to return to consciousness and doubtlessly always loved spending time with her best friend, Fang was determined to resist waking as long as possible. So, with a noise of protest, she turned her body toward the wall and shook the other girl's hand away.

With another giggle, Vanille leaned farther over the bed and shook her by the shoulders. "Fang? Are you just ignoring me?"

"I'm sleeping," Fang whined. "Come back later."

"You can't be sleeping. This is really important."

"Important enough to wake me up on my only day off?" Fang lightly swatted her hands away without turning to face her. "You'll have to tell me later, 'cause I'm not getting up."

"It's _super_ important." The younger girl pulled back and glanced over her shoulder out the window with a longing sigh. She had waited for Fang for as long as possible, but it was so gorgeous outside that she just could not wait anymore. "Come on. You've gotta wake up."

"Why? It's my day off." Fang turned back over to face her, a pout forming on her features. "You never wake up when _I_ wake up in the morning."

"That's because you wake up way too early," Vanille giggled, grinning brightly. "You have to get up because I said so. Isn't that a good enough reason?"

"Oh, yeah?" Fang raised her brow playfully as she rested her hands behind her head. "Well, _I_ say that _you_ should go back to sleep instead of making me get up, so I guess you have to."

"But I'm already awake and dressed," Vanille protested, placing her hands on her hips. "I'm not even lying down."

"Well, that's just a minor setback, now isn't it?" Fang grinned slyly.

Vanille's eyes widened nervously. "What d'you mean?"

With a cunning smirk, Fang grabbed Vanille around the waist and pulled the squealing girl into the bed with her, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist so that she could not escape. Vanille squirmed as she landed against the mattress, placing her hands on Fang's shoulders and attempting to pull away from her. However, when she realized that attempting to escape was futile, she simply surrendered to the other girl's hold, blushing darkly.

"Fang!" Vanille whined nervously. "Let me go and get up! We're already late."

"Late for what?" Fang inquired with a curious look, faint traces of her smirk still present because she was pleased by the red tinge on the other girl's cheeks.

"You forgot?" Vanille lowered her eyes sadly. "But you promised."

"What?" Fang inquired more seriously, loosening her hold on the other girl.

"Last night before you fell asleep," Vanille reminded her gently, poking her in the stomach. "You promised you'd go with me."

"A promise?" Fang scrunched her face up as she attempted to remember where she possibly would've told the other girl she would go. "I was really tired last night, Vanille. I think I would've said anything if I thought you'd let me go to sleep."

"O-Oh." Vanille lowered her eyes, looking tearful.

"Don't do that or I'll have to cheer you up," Fang warned with a devious grin.

"W-Wait. I don't need cheering up!" The pink-haired girl protested nervously, forcing a smile. "I'm fine. See?"

"Too late," Fang laughed as she immediately unleashed a rather violent tickle attack on her friend.

Vanille squeaked with surprise and attempted acrobatic movements to twist away from her, but Fang was unwilling to allow her to leave the bed because then the other girl would resume attempting to convince her to go wherever she had told her she would go. Eventually, however, she took pity on the girl and released her. Vanille attempted to make a break for it, scrambling toward freedom, but with a pout Fang wrapped her arms around her waist from behind and pulled her back toward her.

"Where're you going? If you get up, I have to," Fang exclaimed sadly.

Blushing again as she snuggled back against her, Vanille exclaimed, "But Fang, if we don't go now, all the best apples will be taken."

"Apples?" Fang's eyes widened with horror. "Vanille, I promised I'd go apple picking with you?"

"Yeah." Vanille nodded vigorously, turning to face her without considering how close the two of them were. She flushed as she begged, "You'll still go with me, right?"

"I didn't know what I was promising," Fang protested.

"But I'm not tall enough to pick the best apples. Plus, if we both go I can have twice as many since you don't like them," Vanille argued with a pleading look. "I need your help, Fang."

The dark-haired girl sighed. "All right, fine."

"Thank you!" Vanille chirped happily, throwing her arms around Fang's neck and hugging her close.

Fang smiled warmly into her embrace as she added, "But you _have_ to let me sleep longer first. This is my only day off."

Vanille pouted as she pulled away from her. "Everyone else left already. We'll miss all the good apples."

"I'll steal someone's good apples," Fang grumbled as she turned so that she was facing the wall again and buried her face in the pillow.

"Fang, you can't do that," Vanille giggled, prodding her shoulder with her index finger.

"There's where you're wrong," Fang replied with a smirk as she turned over to face her again. "You're not gonna let me go back to sleep, are you?"

Vanille shook her head, beaming adorably.

"Then move over." Fang sighed, unable to hide the smile beneath her feigned frown. "I guess I'll get changed."

With a nod of assent, Vanille climbed out of the bed. "Are you gonna eat breakfast first?"

"Unless you want me to eat all the apples before we get back," Fang replied with a grin.

"But you don't even like apples."

"Well, if it's that or starvation…" The dark-haired girl chuckled as she climbed out of bed.

Vanille stood beside her, shifting nervously on her heels.

Fang raised her brows. "Are you all right?"

Nodding, Vanille explained, "I just wanted to say thank you, since I know you don't wanna go."

Shrugging, Fang mumbled nonchalantly, "I'd go anywhere with you."

A warm smile blossomed on Vanille's face as she followed Fang toward the armoire and placed her hand on her arm to stop her.

"What?" Fang raised her brow suspiciously. "I'm tired, but I won't let you play a prank on me."

"I'm not trying to play a prank. I just wanted to say thank you," Vanille repeated, grinning mischievously as she stood on her tiptoes to quickly kiss Fang's cheek.

The dark-haired girl's eyes widened as she felt a red tinge seep onto her cheeks. Vanille, for her part, giggled nervously before informing her, "I'll meet you at the orchard, okay?"

With that, the younger girl raced out of the door, her pink pigtails bobbing beside her.

Fang smirked after her, raising her brow as she wondered if it wasn't time to take a chance after all. She changed her clothes in a daze of deep thought before finally making her way down to the dining hall. Her distraction was so great that she did not even notice Konnor sitting at another table when she placed her tray at the nearest empty seat.

Disgruntled, her best friend made his way over and grumbled, "What, are you mad at me or something?"

"Huh?" Fang snapped out of her thoughts.

"Oh, you're just out of it." Smirking, Konnor added, "I bet you tonight's dessert I can guess exactly _who_ you're thinking about."

Fang rolled her eyes, smiling. "That'd be the same as you betting me that you knew my first name."

Konnor snickered. "Yeah, I guess it is _that_ obvious. You know, I'm not the only one who thinks so. After that game of rice ball, I heard Mollia asking one of her friends if they thought you two ever played boyfriend-girlfriend."

"Why's it gotta be _boyfriend_-girlfriend?" Fang scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Girls are better anyway."

Her friend laughed again. "You know, you're not gonna be able to hide it forever if you talk like that."

"Who says I'm planning on hiding it forever?" Fang raised her brow in challenge, feigning confidence even though she felt her stomach twist. "In fact, I was thinking…"

"Yeah?" Konnor leaned forward in his seat looking interested.

"Well, something happened this morning…" The dark-haired girl furrowed her brows thoughtfully. "I promised Vanille I'd help her pick apples, even though I didn't want to. She was really disappointed when I didn't wanna go anymore, so I said I would. Then she kissed my cheek."

Konnor blinked. "Oh. I thought it'd be something bigger the way you hesitated."

"That was big," Fang argued insistently. "She's never done that before, and she looked all flustered about it, too."

"Hm." Konnor smirked. "You know what that means?"

"What?" Fang's eyes widened attentively.

"It means she's sick of waiting for you to make the first move, you big coward," Konnor snickered. "I mean, jeez, Fang, the whole village can see how you feel about her. Do you really think she's blind enough to be the only one here not to notice?"

Fang considered that before smirking faintly. "Then I guess there's only one thing I can do."

"Duh." Konnor rolled his eyes.

Glaring, Fang punched his arm. "Jerk! I supported you when _you_ were nervous."

"Yeah, but I was twelve, not sixteen," Konnor pointed out with a jeer as he rubbed his arm. "Now, would you stop punching me all the time? You're freakishly strong."

Fang grinned broadly at that.

Xxx

Less than an hour later, Fang ambled into Tam Ooran's apple orchard, one of the largest and richest farms in the village. Ooran was the only apple farmer, since he grew them so well and villagers had purchased apples from his family for so long that no one else would even dare to attempt to sell the same product. As she pushed through the wooden gate, she noticed orphans everywhere. All of them were either lounging by the trees as they ate the spoils of that morning, scrambling up the trucks of the tall, healthy trees to reach for the best apples, which presumably were the ones that received the most sunlight, or walking toward the exit with baskets filled with the free apples generously provided by the elderly farmer.

Fang did not spend much time looking at the others, especially because the majority of them gave her strange looks. The last time that Fang had bothered going to the orchard on apple picking day was when she was a young girl, and almost everyone knew that she did not like the taste of the fruits they were gathering. Instead of worrying about the others, Fang focused on finding Vanille, who she thought would be easy to spot because of her brightly colored hair. Unfortunately, her younger friend was nowhere to be seen. It did not take Fang long to decide that Vanille had probably wandered into the depths of the orchard in search of apples that were untouched by the other orphans. After all, she was rather serious about finding the best apples in the entire orchard.

Fang was unsure why it was so important to the other girl, but she had learned not to question her over the years.

After searching fruitlessly for at least half an hour, Fang paused and tried to put herself in Vanille's shoes, her hands falling on her hips in frustration. She knew that her younger friend would not likely have strayed far enough from the others to put herself in danger, but she also would not be hiding from her when she needed her help. That meant that she had to be somewhere that Fang had already looked, but she could not see how that was possible either.

When another ten minutes had passed and she still had not found her friend, Fang began to feel rather worried. Even though it was still early in the morning, there was a chance that some danger had befallen the younger girl, and she would never forgive herself if that had happened. She should have skipped breakfast and walked to the orchard with her friend instead, since she could have eaten an apple to tide her over until they were finished.

"Fang!"

The dark-haired girl spun around with a sigh of relief, but when she saw that there was no one there, she wondered if she had imagined the voice because she was so worried.

Giggles filled the air. "I'm up here, silly."

Fang looked upwards, her brows raised, to find Vanille perched in a tree above her head. The younger girl grinned down at her, looking quite proud of Fang's surprise.

"You took so long that I was afraid you weren't gonna come." Vanille smiled appreciatively. "I'm so happy to see you."

"Why?" Fang inquired as she eyed the two baskets Vanille had grabbed on her way into the orchard. One of them was already half full. "It looks like you've got everything covered."

"Not really." Vanille insisted, biting her lip sheepishly. "I'm stuck."

Fang attempted to hide her smile. "What's that now?"

"You know what I said." Vanille frowned nervously. "Tell me how to get down. I thought I'd climb the tree to prove that I'm not too little anymore, but now I can't reach the branch to get back down."

"How'd you get up there in the first place?"

"I dunno. I stood on my toes." Vanille hugged herself nervously. "I'm scared, Fang."

"Well, there's only one way for you to get down." Fang smirked faintly. "You're gonna have to jump out of there."

"What?" Vanille gasped in horror. "I'll get hurt."

"You won't." Fang grinned ear-to-ear. "I'll catch you."

With a skeptical frown, Vanille demanded, "What if you miss me?"

Appearing to consider that, Fang replied, "Well, you'll probably just break an ankle or two…"

"Fang!"

The older girl chuckled. "I'm joking. I _won't_ miss. I promise."

Vanille did not look convinced, but she knew that she had little choice but to comply as her friend opened her arms and stood beneath the tree. With a nervous gulp as her heart began to beat rapidly in her chest, Vanille closed her eyes and slid out of the tree, screeching as she fell. Fang leaned forwards at just the right angle, allowing herself to sweep Vanille into her arms before the younger girl could hit the ground. By the time her nervous friend opened her eyes, Fang was already setting her gently onto the ground, completely with a teasing grin on her face.

"That's better." Fang smoothed down Vanille's hair, which had become messy as she fell. "Sometime remind me and I'll teach you how to jump from a tree without hurting yourself."

"That'd be fun." Vanille smiled gratefully before pointing to the tree that she had jumped out of. "Do you think you could climb to the top and get the yellow apple up there?"

"A yellow apple?" Fang pretended to check if she had hit her head.

"Stop that. It's really up there." Vanille playfully swatted her hands away. "I wanna ask Matron Kalli if it's safe before seeing what it tastes like."

"I bet it's poisonous, but I'll get it if you want." Fang shrugged as she immediately used both her height and strength to pull herself up the tree.

Vanille watched her climb with a faint smile on her face before beginning to pluck some apples from the shorter branches and dropping them into her basket with the others.

"Look out below!" Fang warned with a smirk as she suddenly dropped three apples.

Vanille gasped, scrambling out of the way as she covered her head, before she pouted up at her friend. "I wasn't ready."

"You were supposed to catch them," Fang scolded playfully before she jumped out of the tree and landed in a crouched position on the ground.

Vanille was impressed, but she seemed determined to hide it as she turned her back on her friend and gathered the apples that she had dropped on the ground.

Fang felt rather impish, since apple picking was so boring. "Hey Vanille, have you ever heard the story of the princess who ate the poisoned apple?"

The younger girl tilted her head curiously as she placed a few apples delicately into her basket.

"It's a fairytale, like the stories your parents used to tell you before bed." Fang grinned mischievously. "Have you ever heard it?"

"I don't think so. Is it like the one where the warrior saves the village chief's daughter from the King Behemoth?"

Fang shook her head. "Not quite."

"Oh." Vanille smiled, interested. "Well, tell it to me then."

"If you insist," Fang replied with a chuckle, smirking as she added, "Oh, and one more thing. I'm bored, so we're gonna act out the story."

"What?" Vanille's eyes widened and she began laughing. "Fang, how can I act out a story if I dunno how it goes?"

"Don't worry. I'll tell you what to do." Fang posed dramatically, her voice deeper than usual as she began. "Once upon a time there was a princess named Vanille." Her voice returned to normal as she explained, "You've gotta be the princess, 'cause I'm not fit for the role."

"You're too big to be a princess," Vanille agreed with a teasing giggle.

"Hey, watch it." Fang narrowed her eyes, grinning cruelly. "Just for that, I'm changing the story. It begins with a pretty princess named Vanille running from a big, evil troll named Fang."

The pink-haired girl's eyes widened and she let out a shriek of surprise, diving out of the way as Fang pounced at her making roaring noises.

"Fang, stop it!" Vanille giggled, racing around a tree to hide from her.

"The princess ran all the way to the forest to hide from the troll, but the cunning monster was too smart to be fooled that way," Fang replied enthusiastically as she proceeded around the tree, snatching out her hands as though she planned to capture Vanille.

"I'll help tell the story, too!" Vanille cried as she ducked out of the way and ran back around the tree. "The princess was too quick for the troll, so it ran into a tree and knocked itself out."

"The troll was too powerful and just knocked over all the trees in its path," Fang argued as she appeared behind Vanille, grabbing her around the waist and holding her tightly as she murmured in her ear, "I got you."

Vanille squirmed against her, giggling loudly. "Is the troll gonna try to eat the princess? This is a scary fairytale."

Grinning playfully, Fang narrated, "Having completed its mission to capture the princess, the troll dragged the princess back to its master's lair."

"Who's the troll's master?" Vanille inquired as she placed her hands on top of Fang's arms around her waist to keep her balance.

"You can't ask the narrator questions. It just doesn't make sense," Fang scolded playfully as she suddenly began to drag Vanille toward the basket of apples.

"Someone's gonna think you're kidnapping me and you'll get in trouble," Vanille warned with another giggle.

"Nah, they'll just think we're both crazy." Fang replied as she placed her friend beside the basket of apples and released her, continuing her narration. "The scary troll suddenly transformed into the evil hag, but the princess could not see her because she was invisible."

"Since the princess couldn't see the old hag, she immediately decided to escape," Vanille chirped with a grin as she turned and tried to race away from her friend.

As Vanille was making her getaway, she tripped on a tree root and tumbled face-first to the ground. Her laughter made it clear that she was not injured, and the smile that remained on her face as Fang picked up an apple and began to creep toward her proved that she was enjoying their interactive game.

"When the princess fell down, the hag saw a perfect opportunity to act out her plan, so she transformed into a kind, old lady and promised the princess that she would lead her to safety."

Fang crouched at Vanille's side and held the apple out toward her, so the younger girl immediately reached for it, thinking that that was what she was expected to do. However, when Fang did not release the apple, Vanille's hands simply lingered on top of the other girl's, causing a faint flush to cover her cheeks.

"You can't take the apple yet," Fang chided lightheartedly. "First the narrator's gotta explain _why_ the old hag wants to poison the princess. It's a really important plot point."

"But the reason's obvious." Vanille's eyes gleamed excitedly. "It's the same as the fairytale where the ogre kidnaps the prettiest maiden in the village. The old hag is just really jealous of the princess' beauty."

"Actually, it's just the opposite." Fang smirked when Vanille gave her a sour look. "The old hag wants to poison the princess because she's just _so_ unattractive that—"

"Fang!" Vanille interrupted with a pout and puppy eyes.

Laughing, the dark-haired girl admitted, "Okay, fine. The hag _was_ jealous of the princess, who was the most beautiful girl in the entire world. There, you happy now?"

Vanille nodded, giggling as she asked, "So, the troll, the hag _and_ the old lady are all named Fang?"

"Obviously, since they're all the same person," Fang laughed. "Now, pay attention."

"Sorry." Vanille bit her lip.

"So, anyway, the kind old woman convinced the princess that she should eat something before she continued her journey."

"Did the princess take the apple?" Vanille inquired as she eyed it hungrily. She had not eaten since breakfast several hours ago.

"You tell me." Fang smiled faintly.

Vanille immediately seized the apple from Fang's hands and took a hearty bite. She was just leaning in to eat more of the apple when Fang suddenly snatched it away from her, exclaiming dramatically:

"One bite was enough to make the princess fall into a deep sleep."

Vanille pouted. "Can't it take the whole apple to make her fall asleep?"

"Nope, it only takes one bite. I didn't make up this story."

The pink-haired girl gave her a skeptical look.

"So anyway, next the princess fainted, falling into a deep sleep." Fang gave her an expectant look.

Embarrassed, the younger girl mumbled, "I don't wanna pretend to be asleep. I'll look silly."

"Aw, come on. It's only fun if you play along," Fang teased, grinning. "Besides, the best part is coming up next."

"Okay, but I wanna pick more apples after." Vanille lay on her back on the ground with a sigh and added with a frown, "I better not get bugs in my hair, and I'm _not_ closing my eyes."

"You're a very picky princess," Fang teased before continuing dramatically, "The poison was a special kind that made the princess sleep with her eyes wide open."

Vanille giggled.

"And it made her laugh." Family smiled warmly as she knelt beside her friend. "This is the part of the story where the prince comes to the princess' rescue, but since we don't have one of those, I guess I'll have to do."

"It's a better story this way, since a prince would be really predictable." The younger girl blushed faintly.

Fang raised her brow playfully, leaning over her and looking deeply into her eyes. She lowered her voice as she murmured, "You know, Vanille, I dunno how this story ends yet."

Vanille smiled shyly, her cheeks flushing. "I dunno either, but I think there's only one way to wake up a sleeping princess. It's in all the stories."

Fang brushed Vanille's bangs tenderly from her face as a warm feeling moved through her. Leaning toward her, her lips pressed close to her ear as she whispered gently, "Want me to break the spell?"

Vanille looked away, a nervous grin covering her features. "I—"

"Is somebody there?" The voice of an elderly man interrupted.

Both girls jumped away from each other and Fang peeked behind them. When she spotted an elderly man on the path not far away from them and noticed that his sight was so poor that he could not seem them, she mumbled quietly, "That's Tam Ooran. He's older than I thought."

"Is he a part of the fairytale, Fang?" Vanille teased as she recovered from the nerves bursting through her.

"Well, he's certainly not a part of _my_ fairytale, but if you want I could call him over and ask if he wants to be your prince." Fang laughed lightly when Vanille's eyes widened. "I'm sure he'd agree to free a pretty girl like you from any spell."

"Fang," Vanille chastised.

Her friend laughed faintly. "I guess we'll have to find out the end of the story later."

Vanille pouted, protesting, "But then the princess will have to sleep forever."

Fang turned to face her again, a warm smile growing on her features as she reached out and touched Vanille's chin. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when the younger girl looked into her eyes with a gaze of powerful longing.

The old man, crossing the path to investigate, was nearing them, so Fang knew that there was not much time. She wanted whatever moment might arise between them to be perfect, so she knew that time was not quite right.

Gently, Fang exclaimed, "We'll figure out the ending another time, but here's a little precursor."

She leaned forwards and pressed a gentle, lingering kiss against the soft skin of Vanille's cheek and grinned, satisfied, when the younger girl flushed lightly.

"What's going on here?" Ooran suddenly appeared behind them, squinting his eyes because even up close he could not see very well.

"We're from the orphanage." Fang stood up and dusted herself off before reaching for Vanille and pulling the younger girl up with her.

"Well, what're you doing all the way out here by yourselves?" He eyed them suspiciously. "Usually the orphans stick closer to the front of the orchard."

"We figured the best apples would be back here," Fang replied nonchalantly, an innocent smile covering her features. "We got kinda tired, so we decided to rest."

"I heard strange noises," he pointed out.

Fang laughed lightly. "I was acting out a fairytale for her, but I got carried away."

"Well, you two better hurry and get the rest of your apples before lunch. If you've been here as long as the others, I bet you're getting pretty hungry by now." Ooran smiled politely. "Have a good day, girls. Don't get in any trouble now."

"Thanks. I never get in trouble," Fang replied with a roguish grin.

"And thank you for the apples every year," Vanille chirped politely, trying to hide the fact that she was still quite flustered.

"Oh, don't mention it." He began to hobble away, speaking mostly to himself as he added, "Nothing feels better than making young ones smile."

"Come on." Fang motioned for the other girl to follow her as the old man disappeared between the trees of the orchard. "Let's get those apples. I heard a rumor you might be trying to bake an apple pie this week."

"It's only for people who are coming to my birthday party," Vanille replied as she suddenly stuck her chin in the air. "So, you can't have any unless you go."

Fang smiled faintly, sighing. "You know I wanna go, but Chief Torren said there's no way he'd give me a break just because it was your birthday. I even offered to clean the entire bath house—which is no treat, trust me—if he let me off the hook, but he said no."

Vanille pouted miserably. "But I won't have any fun without you."

"Sure, you will." Fang wrapped her arm around her waist and tugged her closer, lowering her voice. "Besides, cheer up, 'cause I'm gonna give you a really good present."

"Really?" Vanille immediately perked up, looking excited. "What're you getting me?"

"If I tell you, it won't be a very good surprise, now will it?" Fang smirked as she released her and picked up the empty bucket of apples. "Now, you keep filling your bucket and I'll fill this one. Then we can get out of here. I think after lunch I'll take a nap."

"Me, too," Vanille exclaimed immediately.

When Fang raised her brow and glanced at her, the younger girl blushed and shied away, causing the dark-haired girl to grin widely.

Xxx

"Vanille, wake up," Fang whispered close to her ear, brushing her fingers against the younger girl's shoulder.

Vanille lifted her head curiously, though her eyes were still completely closed, and seemed to look around in her sleep before turning over and snuggling back into the pillow with a gentle noise.

A warm smiled grew on Fang's face as she ran her fingers through Vanille's hair. "Come on, Vanille. It's your birthday."

The younger girl stirred, her eyes opening slowly as a warm smile covered her face. "It's my birthday?"

"Yep, it is." Fang smirked. "I'd call you an old fart, but since I'm older I'll keep my mouth shut."

Vanille reached full consciousness as she stretched and yawned. Then she shouted excitedly, "I'm fifteen years old!"

Some of the other girls seemed to shift in their sleep, prompting Fang to shush her friend with a faint chuckle. "The others are still sleeping."

"What time is it?" Vanille looked around suspiciously.

"The sun's not up yet," Fang explained.

"No wonder I'm still tired. Why'd you wake me?" Vanille complained, yawning again as she glanced out the window. "Do you really get up like this every morning?"

"I woke up a little early to set up your present," Fang admitted with a grin.

"Really?" Vanille gasped in excitement, sitting up. "Do I get it now?"

"Hm, I don't think so." Fang smirked.

"But Fang, I need something to cheer me up," Vanille insisted, hugging herself as she looked away. "Being fifteen is scary."

"A second ago you were really excited," Fang pointed out. "Besides, fifteen is one year closer to life outside the orphanage when you have a career and your own house."

"It's also the year of your first hunt." Vanille looked into her eyes nervously. "Is it really scary?"

"So, that's what you're worried about." Fang smiled at the realization and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "That's not scary at all. The hunters are really experienced, and with any luck they'll let me go, too."

"If you could go with me, that'd be the best birthday present in the world." Vanille brightened at the prospect.

"Maybe I should just return the present I already got you then," Fang teased, hoping to lighten the mood because she did not want Vanille to fear her first hunt when it was still a while away.

"No. I want my present right now."

"Well, aren't you impatient?" Fang teased.

Vanille narrowed her eyes and threw one of their pillows at Fang. The dark-haired girl caught the pillow in her hand and set it back on the bed before lying down and tugging the other girl with her. Vanille turned to face her with a nervous smile.

"Your hair's gotten long," Fang murmured gently as she ran her fingers through her curls.

Vanille smiled shyly. "I was thinking of cutting it a little shorter."

"I like it either way," Fang pointed out, pleased when the other girl blushed. "Anyway, I should get going, so you can go back to sleep if you want. I just wanted to let you know before I left that I'd make sure you had a fun day even though I can't be at your party."

Something about her tone caused Vanille to gulp nervously. "You're not gonna play a prank on me, are you?"

"On your birthday?" Fang laughed lightly. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

Vanille smiled. "The kind who never behaves."

"You got that right." Fang winked. "But don't worry. It's not a prank. It's just a bit of good, old-fashioned fun that'll keep you busy until I get back. When your party's about to end, Konnor's gonna give you a clue that'll lead you on a little scavenger hunt to find your present. You've gotta find it on your own though. Don't ask for anyone's help or you'll never find it."

Vanille pouted. "Will it be hard?"

"I hope not." Fang laughed and placed her hand on her cheek, murmuring gently, "It's time to go or Chief Torren'll have my head, so have fun today, okay? Happy birthday."

"Wait," Vanille protested as Fang pulled away from her.

Fang turned back to look at her as she sat on the edge of the bed to pull on her boots. "I gotta go, but I promise you'll see me later, okay?"

Vanille nodded and watched Fang get ready before the girl grabbed her staff and walked briskly out the door. She hated that her friend could not spend her birthday with her, but she also understood that Fang was practically an adult now and could not skirt her duties for any reason. Even Vanille still had to do things that she did not enjoy on her birthday, so she forgave her friend. However, whether or not she would forgive her for the scavenger hunt remained to be seen.

She could not imagine that Fang would not play a prank on her.

Eventually Vanille snuggled back into the covers, finding the warm spot where Fang had rested earlier and breathing in the lingering scent of the other girl. Her lips curved into an excited grin as she realized that even if Fang's scavenger hunt was designed to give her a hard time, she would still receive a present from the other girl. Whatever her surprise was, she could expect it to be worth the effort it might take to find it.

Xxx

Although Vanille enjoyed her birthday party, she spent almost the entire celebration only half-listening to her friends' usually stories about their most recent dates, how their apprenticeships were going, and whether they were excited or frightened about their upcoming first hunts. Vanille was just so excited and curious about what she would receive from Fang and the game that she would have to play to find it that she spent almost the entire party, which was held in the dining hall during the lunch period, watching Konnor interact with his friends and wondering when he would approach her. He was distinctly aware of her attention, sending her amused smiles whenever their eyes met. However, he seemed to refuse to approach her until the last moment possible. Vanille wondered if those had been his instructions.

Eventually Aria joined the party, which meant that the rest of the hour-long lunch block was dedicated to the older girl explaining her wedding plans to all of her friends, including Vanille. While the pink-haired girl was usually very interested and wanted to spend more time with her friend, since she would be moving out of the orphanage in less than a month after her marriage ceremony, she simply could not focus, causing her friends to ask her several times if something was wrong. She mostly ignored them, frequently stealing glances in Konnor's direction, until finally she could not take it anymore.

Receiving a present was actually quite a large deal for her. Only the matrons usually gave out presents for the orphans' birthdays, since those who still lived within the orphanage generally did not yet make money, and the matrons' presents were always too practical. They frequently gifted their children with school supplies or something that might help them at their apprenticeships if they were old enough. For that reason, Vanille was almost too excited about her gift from Fang to think about anything else.

Eventually the lunch hour ended and people began to clear out of the dining hall. Aria bid Vanille goodbye, hugging her as she wished her a happy birthday, and soon the rest of her friends were waving to her as they left. At that time, Konnor finally decided to pull away from his retreating friends and cross the room.

When Vanille beamed excitedly at him, Konnor burst out laughing. "I guess Fang told you I had your first clue, huh? You ready?"

Vanille nodded enthusiastically, though she looked around as though to make sure no one was watching them before whispering, "Do you know what she's getting me?"

"Nope. I don't even know what the next clue is." Konnor smiled faintly, pulling a small drawstring bag out of his vest and handing it to her. "Good luck. I hope this scavenger hunt is fun instead of hard. Fang comes up with the craziest schemes."

"I think it'll be fun." Vanille smiled warmly.

"Well, like I said, good luck." Konnor shrugged. "I better get back to the blacksmith, but happy birthday. This'll be one of the coolest years of your life. After your first hunt is when the adults start treating you like you might just have a brain of your own."

Vanille giggled at his statement and thanked him as he turned to leave.

When Konnor was gone, Vanille made sure that no one was paying attention before she peeked at the contents of the bag. She was surprised to see nothing more than a pile of the berries that she had given Fang before her first hunt. At first she wondered what the other girl was up to, but then she realized maybe she would find her next clue where the berries grew.

Vanille could not leave her party before all the other guests had left, so she closed the drawstring bag and tied it to the belt at her waist before she set out to gently convince those remaining that it was time to leave. Only the matrons seemed to catch on to what she was doing, because when she approached the group of them, Matron Solstice told the others that Vanille must have a secret date and they all giggled lightly.

Even though she was unsure what they were thinking, the fifteen-year-old felt her cheeks light up. Matron Solstice wished her a happy birthday and told her to enjoy the rest of her day with a twinkle in her eyes before she motioned for the others to follow her back to the offices. The rest of the guests seemed to take the matrons leaving as their cue to go as well, much to Vanille's relief.

After everyone finally left, Vanille raced to the southern border of the village. It did not take her long to find the bushes where the berries usually grew, and a short while of searching led her to notice that a small dagger had been stuck into a tree trunk just above the largest bush. She noticed that there was a piece of parchment wrapped around the hilt of the dagger and also took note of the fact that someone had stuck the dagger's sheath on the lowest branch of the tree. No one would waste a perfectly good weapon, so Vanille could only assume that her friend had left the dagger as her first clue. Unfortunately, even standing on her tiptoes she could not reach it.

She spent a while considering just giving up and returning to the village before she decided that she wanted to prove herself worthy of Fang's challenge so that the other girl would not tease her. With a sigh, she immediately began attempting to climb the tree, which left her with several scratches on her hands from the rough bark and a bruised knee when she fell down the first time. However, eventually she persevered, reaching the first branch and claiming the scabbard as her own. She then reached for the dagger, pulling it free of the bark with such force that she fell out of the tree and landed in the bushes, which thankfully had no thorns.

When she freed herself of the plant, she took a moment to brush the leaves and twigs from her hair before unwrapping the parchment. She realized that were two different notes.

The first note read: _A dagger can be useful in a lot of different situations, but always keep it sheathed unless you need to use it_.

Vanille immediately sheathed the dagger and tied it to her belt before reading the second note.

_Your next clue is behind a hill to the northwest and near some very fuzzy friends._

The pink-haired girl tilted her head thoughtfully as she tried to remember the geography of their village. The northwestern area was home to the majority of the herders in the village, which was the reason that she had never bothered to visit that part of the village. In fact, the only time that she had even seen any of those farms was when the matrons had taken them on a fieldtrip to the Datil farm where they were shown how to remove a chocobo's fluffy fur.

With a smile, Vanille realized that Fang must have planted her next clue on a chocobo. She immediately hustled across the village, noticing that some of the orphans who had attended her party were in the market. They seemed to wonder where she was going, but she did not stop to talk to them because she wanted to find her present as quickly as possible.

By the time that she reached the herding farms, Vanille realized that Fang would not have just tied her clue to a random chocobo because trespassing on someone else's farm was a crime. Similarly, she would have run the risk of scaring the herd and causing a stampede, which would anger the farmers. Thus, Vanille decided that her clue would most likely be secured to a wild animal, which caused her to wander deep into the woods until she found the clearings where she knew the untamed chocobos spent their time. The younger girl spent what felt like hours searching each of the gentle creatures for any kind of clue, but eventually she realized that she must have interpreted her last clue incorrectly and admitted defeat as she fell down against a tree.

Vanille's eyes traced the forest line as she lost herself in thought, but she snapped out of it when she noticed something strange. Several different twigs had snapped as though someone had stepped on them while crossing the forest. She noticed that some of the leaves had been torn off of the bushes as though someone had raced by, so she stood and followed a path of trampled grass deeper into the trees.

She let out a gasp of surprise as she noticed a stuffed creature leaning against one of the trees. At first she thought it was a stuffed animal meant for children, but then she realized that it was a stuffed doll made of the thick, grainy fabric of rice bags with red lines and Xs marking its vital spots. It was the sort of prop that only Fang would have access to as an apprentice hunter, because it was meant to train people in her line of work. Even though the creature had been sewn together and was not real, Vanille still felt extremely uncomfortable in its presence.

A piece of parchment sat atop the fake critter's head, so Vanille crossed the clearing hastily to read it.

_This'll be the part of this scavenger hunt that you find the least exciting, but Matron Essle told me once that you didn't pay much attention in your hunting classes so now you've gotta learn from the amazing and lovable teacher Fang. Cut along the kill lines starting from the top to find your next clue inside—and don't worry, the red goop that's gonna come out is just made of mashed up berries._

"Fang, I don't wanna do this," Vanille whined even though she was alone.

While she had to be prepared to behave appropriately during her first hunt, Vanille felt that since she was not going to be a hunter, everyone would go easy on her and no one would make her carve up her kill on her own. Thus, she felt that she did not have any reason to know the things that Fang seemed to be trying to teach her. She considered simply giving up for the second time, but she feared that Fang would not give her the present if she did so, so with a frown she unsheathed the sword at her waist and made delicate cuts along the kill lines drawn on the practice dummy. As the berry goop dripped out of the wounds, she knew for sure that she never wanted to be a hunter.

She finally found the clue shallowly embedded in the abdomen of the stuffed training device, but her hands were so covered in berry goop that she spent a long time wiping the sticky liquid into the grass before carefully removing the drawstring pouch from within. She extracted yet another note from inside the bag and smiled faintly to herself as she read it, since it sounded so very much like Fang.

_There, now that wasn't so bad, was it? I hope not, 'cause if it was I'm sure I'll hear about it later. Anyway, before you head off to find the next clue, make sure you find a stream to clean off your blade and get it good and dry. You don't want that sucker to rust and in the real hunting world blood can be really dangerous._

Vanille decided it would be easier to just wipe the blade for now and get Fang to clean it for her later, but then she realized that Fang had not actually included a clue, which meant that she would most likely find her next clue by the river that she was supposed to find.

At least half an hour of searching later, Vanille finally stumbled upon the bank of a river by accident. She was lost and no longer having as much fun as she had thought she would, and since her sense of direction was rather poor, she was also very scared. It was a little cruel of Fang to make her go through the unsafe forest on her own when it was her birthday, but there was nothing that she could do but continue playing the game.

After carefully washing her blade in the river, Vanille noticed a piece of parchment stuck to a nearby tree by a needle that Fang had most likely swiped at the orphanage when the matrons were not paying attention. She quickly tore the note out of the tree and skimmed it over, trying to ignore the frightening noise of the leaves all around her rustling together in the wind.

_This is the Sullid River, named by the clans from Rueba, the next village over to the North. The river is huge and runs through the woods to the north and west of our village. No matter where you leave the village from, as long as you're heading north or west, you'll find this river. Follow the river walking opposite the current and you'll find that it moves closer and closer to the village._ _If you walk for long enough, you should be able to find your way back to the village from here—but hide in the trees. A lot of creatures like to stop at the river to drink._

Vanille gulped nervously and looked around to make sure that none of the creatures Fang had mentioned were watching her hungrily right at that moment. Then she decided that she would probably find another clue while she was following the river and began her brisk walk just inside the forest line. The only thing that she could do to calm herself down was study the strange berries and flowers that grew along the river. She had never seen them before, so she could assume that they were limited to that area.

When the river led Vanille to a more familiar part of the woods, she let out a sigh of relief and almost abandoned her journey to find her present. However, she paused when she noticed yet another piece of parchment, this time sticking out of a patch of flowers, and moved forwards to claim her note.

_Now comes the time for a little more fun. Go ask Matron Tania what she had for lunch._

Vanille spent the rest of the afternoon completing rather strange errands as per the instructions of Fang's notes. Matron Tania had eaten lunch with one of the village elders, which led Vanille to find a clue beneath the table at which the two of them had dined. That clue had instructed her to ask the innkeeper if he had any rooms available, but he had told her to try the next inn over. She had found her next clue in the first room that the next innkeeper allowed her to look at, but she had been a little embarrassed to tell that elderly woman that she did not actually need a room and had just been curious. That clue had told her to ask Konnor for her next instructions, but he had told her that he had no idea Fang gave him another clue and suggested that she search the blacksmith's shop while he continued working. After several more notes, Vanille finally found a worthwhile clue.

_Sorry for wasting your time like that, but I'm on a pretty tight schedule today, so I had to make sure to keep you busy long enough for me to get back before you finished your quest. Hopefully you found this before it was late enough for that, but either way, the next clue is one I think you'll enjoy. You'll find it under our bed_.

Vanille sincerely hoped that that would be her last clue as she raced back to the orphanage and knelt down beside the bed that she had shared with Fang since she was a young girl. Sure enough, she found a box that had not been there the night before, and she was pleased to see that Fang had wrapped it in shimmering parchment. She tore the paper off as quickly as she could before examining the contents of the box with a bright grin on her face.

Her present was an assortment of rare beads that she had spotted in the jeweler's shop a few months ago. She could never afford them until she actually made money, but she had still spent the rest of the week telling her friends that her dream was to make a bracelet for herself out of those particular beads. It was impossible to know how Fang could have afforded such a present when hunters did not make a salary and she was just an apprentice, but Vanille had no intention of questioning her as she sifted her fingers through the collection of smooth glass beads of various rare colors and designs.

A gasp of surprise escaped her lips when she found another piece of parchment.

_Happy birthday, Vanille, and congratulations! You've almost reached the end of your journey. Go to the place I found these beads for your next clue, unless you don't feel like it. It's up to you whether or not you want to find the last part of your present._

Vanille grinned faintly and slid the box of beads back under her bed where it would be safe before she headed toward the shop where she performed her apprenticeship. When she entered, the elderly woman who had been teaching her for months smiled faintly.

"Good afternoon, Vanille, and happy birthday. I'm assuming you're here for that silly clue your friend left here this morning."

Vanille nodded, looking excited.

"I nearly shut the door in your friend's face when she knocked so early this morning, but she looked so sincere that I thought I better play along." The kind jeweler laughed lightly. "Here's the piece of parchment."

_Go to your favorite place in the world to find the rest of your gift._

Vanille bid her teacher goodbye before racing excitedly to the flowery fields that had enchanted her since she was a little girl. She had scarcely been so excited, though she had no idea what Fang could possibly give her that was better than the expensive beads that she had already received.

When she reached her cherished fields and the sweet smell of autumn flowers filled her nostrils, her excitement only grew. She spent a long time wandering amidst the flowers searching for another piece of parchment or some kind of package, but eventually she had no choice but to give up and reconsider the clue. Fang seemed to enjoy sticking her clues to trees, so she decided to cross the fields and enter yet another part of the forest.

She only spent a few moments searching before a playful voice drifted through the trees. "I was wondering if you'd ever show up."

"Fang!" Vanille gasped excitedly, spinning around to face her.

The dark-haired girl stood a few paces away, her hands on her hips and a grin on her face. "Did you enjoy the scavenger hunt? I thought it was pretty creative."

"It was really annoying," Vanille exclaimed stubbornly, though it was difficult to conceal her smile. "How come you made me do all that weird stuff? The training animal was gross."

"Maybe, but think about how prepared you are for your first hunt now." Fang eyed the weapon at her waist. "You've got that dagger, which you can borrow, by the way, and the healing berries. Not to mention now you've got some experience scouting, a working knowledge of the weak points of the critters you'll be expected to hunt, and a way to find your way home if you get lost on your own. The first hunts always take place just outside the northern part of the village."

Vanille's eyes widened in surprise. "So, that was all just an exercise to help me get ready?"

"Yep." Fang smiled faintly. "I dunno for sure if Chief Torren'll let me go with you on your first hunt, so I'm determined to at least give you a few tips here and there. I'm half worried enough not to let you go at all."

The pink-haired girl giggled lightly. "But everyone has to go."

Fang merely shrugged.

Vanille bit her lip and looked around excitedly. "Where's the other part of my present? You said there was more?"

"I did, didn't I?" Fang tapped her finger thoughtfully against her chin. "I wonder what I was gonna give you."

"Fang, don't tell me you forgot." Vanille frowned. "I came all the way here."

"Well, it's been a really long day." Fang smiled faintly. "It's hard to remember."

Vanille knew that she was just teasing, so she shrugged. "I guess I'll just go back then. I wanna make something out of those beads tonight."

"Hang on. It's all coming back to me." The older girl laughed lightly, closing the space between them as Vanille looked at her. "I know it had something to do with that fairytale I was telling you the other day."

Vanille's eyes widened and she bit her lip. "The fairytale?"

"You remember, don't you? We were apple picking." Fang brushed her hair out of her face, her fingers gently tracing Vanille's cheek. "Do you still wanna know how the story ends?"

The pink-haired girl nodded, leaning into Fang's touch as she murmured breathlessly, "Mm-hmm."

"You sure?" Fang teased, her brow raising playfully as their eyes met.

The powerful gaze shared between them was almost too much to bear. Fang felt as though she were in a dream as she placed one hand on Vanille's hip, the other still pressed to her cheek, and pulled the girl gently against her. Her fingers slid up her back, causing the younger girl to shiver in anticipation.

"Happy birthday, Vanille."

Fang leaned forwards and kissed her lips.

The sensation of their kiss was gentle and tender, almost surreal. Vanille felt tingles erupt throughout her form as she leaned into the soft pressure of Fang's lips, and the two of them were filled with a mutual sense of breathlessness. Their kisses augmented ever so faintly, the sensation of their lips fluttering together beyond intoxicating until their breath was so short that they had to pull apart.

Vanille, flushed and breathless, bit her lip. Fang smiled warmly and ran her fingers across one of the blushing girl's cheeks.

"Fang…" Vanille giggled shyly as she clasped her hands together behind her back.

"Now don't you it's worth it going on crazy scavenger hunts if you get a nice surprise at the end?" Fang teased, hoping that her own blush was not noticeable.

Vanille nodded, looking unable to stop smiling, and plopped down on the ground, causing her companion to raise her brow at her. She sighed happily and glanced up and the other girl, her eyes imploring Fang to sit beside her.

The dark-haired girl complied, though she teased gently, "I thought you wanted to go back to work on those beads."

"I didn't know I was gonna get an even better present," Vanille whispered shyly before crawling closer to her and wrapping her arms timidly around Fang's neck as she gently tugged the girl toward herself.

Fang, sensing her desire, wrapped her arms around her and brought their lips together again. The kisses that they shared were slow, tender and new. In spite of feeling nervous and shy, they spent quite a long time wrapped in each other's arms, faces close and lips lingering as dusk fell over the forest.

When they finally broke apart, Vanille ran her fingers through Fang's messy hair and grinned at her. She looked so happy that Fang could not resist pecking her lips another time, which only seemed to brighten her smile.

"We should go back," Fang exclaimed gently, playing with one of her curls.

"I don't wanna go," Vanille whined immediately, lowering her eyes sadly.

"Why not?" The dark-haired girl's brows furrowed with worry.

"Because…" Vanille looked away shyly. "Then this moment will end."

The corners of Fang's lips turned up in amusement. "Vanille, we can't stay out here all night. We'll miss dinner, and besides, it's getting cold."

Vanille immediately embraced her, cuddling against her. "I'll keep you warm, Fang."

Fang laughed and hugged her tightly before pulling away and standing up. She put out her hand to Vanille. "Come on. I'm hungry."

"But it's my birthday," Vanille argued with a playful grin.

The dark-haired girl laughed, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist as the younger girl stood, and tugged her in the direction of the village. "I already gave your presents, Vanille. Don't get greedy now."

"Fine, I won't be greedy." Vanille grinned devilishly. "We don't have to do that ever again, Fang, since you don't want to."

Fang stopped walking, encircling her arms around Vanille's waist from behind and hugging her tightly. As she kissed her cheek, she exclaimed, "I never said _that_."

Vanille giggled, turning around in Fang's grasp and leaning up to kiss her another time. As their lips pressed together, Fang decided that dinner could wait.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Author's Note: Finally a new chapter! Sorry this update took me so long. I just took a really important test and had to study and everything. Sorry in advance if there are typos or mistakes. I really wanted to post for everyone so I hurried a little bit. :) I hope you like the new chapter!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Vanille bit her lip, feeling both anxious and excited, and glanced both ways down the hallway to make certain that she was alone before she quickly opened the door to her bedroom and slipped inside. She shut the door soundlessly behind her and scanned the dark room to make sure that all the other beds were empty before she crossed the room and knelt at the side of her own bed. Resting her arms against the mattress, she grinned up at the still form of the gorgeous dark-haired girl and attempted to hide her giggle. It was not often that she was able to surprise her.

"Fang?" Vanille whispered gently into the darkness, a bright grin warming her features as she strained her eyes to make certain that she was not the one being tricked. "Are you asleep yet?"

There was no response from the older girl, who always went to bed much earlier than the rest of their roommates because apprentice hunters were required to wake at sunrise. Her chest rose and fell peacefully and her form was still.

Giggling again, Vanille sat on the edge of the bed that they shared and ran her fingers over the silky skin of Fang's cheek before she trailed them through her soft, messy hair. As her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, she admired her attractive features and considered simply changing into her nightclothes and joining her. It was too early for her to fall asleep, but even lying close to the sleeping girl, knowing that she cared about her just as much as she had always begged the fates to allow, would be satisfying in ways that she had not known were possible.

Fang suddenly awoke, her hand snapping alertly around Vanille's wrist as though she thought her to be an intruder.

"It's just me, Fang," Vanille assured her gently, another giggled escaping her lips.

"You say that like I shouldn't be worried about finding you hovering over me with that dreamy look on your face while I'm sleeping," Fang murmured drowsily, a yawn escaping her as she released her grip on the other girl. With a playful grin, she inquired, "What brings you to our bedroom so early in the evening? No one to make beads with tonight?"

Vanille shook her head, climbing onto the bed and sitting on her knees. "I didn't think you'd be sleeping yet, so I came to see if you were."

"What'd you plan to do if I was awake?" Fang teased, a smirk growing on her features.

"I dunno," Vanille replied as her eyes shifted and she giggled nervously.

It had been less than a week since the two of them had kissed for the first time in the forest, and most days the newly fifteen-year-old's head was still spinning from the idea that her dreams had actually come true. Though she had never dared to confide in anyone in the village for fear that the ramifications might be terrible, Vanille had cared deeply for Fang for as long as she could remember. When the two of them had first met, she had immediately admired the older girl for her strength and the roguish grin she always wore. From that point forwards, whenever Fang had cuddled close to her as they slept or teased her, playing with her hair or touching the small of her back, Vanille had always felt her face light up as warm tremors filled her. Even when the other girl simply sat in her presence doing a task on her own, Vanille had always felt elation and completion that could only be explained by the sincerest affection.

It was only when Vanille had begun to notice the way that Fang sometimes looked at her that she had allowed herself to begin to hope that the older girl might share her feelings. However, most times she had been too afraid to ruin their friendship by saying anything in case Fang merely cared for her in the way that normal friends might. Now, something incredible had begun to develop between them. They had spent the last week stealing precious moments alone to nurture the brilliant flame of their blossoming young romance with tender kisses and passionate embraces that left both feeling breathless and content. However, Vanille still frequently feared that she might be enjoying the longest and most wonderful dream she had ever had.

"You didn't wake me just to stare, did you?" Fang teased after a long silence.

Vanille shook her head as she snapped out of it and crawled tentatively closer to Fang. A bright grin rose to her lips when Fang immediately opened her arms and beckoned Vanille to join her. The younger girl did not waste a moment nestling against her and wrapping her arms around her waist as she hugged her tightly.

"I wanted to be alone with you," Vanille murmured belatedly as she nuzzled against Fang's chest and cuddled into her embrace. Wrapped in Fang's arms, she had never felt more secure or whole. "D'you think the others'll come back soon?"

Fang shook her head, sliding her fingers through Vanille's soft locks. "No one wants to go to bed this early, and since I need sleep, none of the other girls come in before bed anymore. I'd stay up later too, if I could, but the chief would get his underclothes all in a bunch if I wasn't perfectly chipper and alert at first light."

Vanille giggled as she leaned up to look into her eyes. She placed her hands on either side of Fang's face and felt entranced by her soft skin. "Should I go so you can sleep?"

"You ask that as if I'd let you," Fang replied with a devilish grin.

As Vanille gave her a confused look, Fang turned the two of them over, causing her companion to squeal in surprise.

The younger girl bit her lip shyly as she stared up at Fang, a faint smile growing on her features as she touched her face again. The pressure of the other girl's body half-resting against hers sent a spark of excitement throughout her form and she breathed in deeply, unsure how to react to the desires that took hold of her other than to wrap her arms around Fang's neck and pull the other girl to her lips.

Their kisses were still excitingly new, soft lips coming together with frenzied passion, hands straying through hair or brushing against the soft skin of each other's faces. Vanille's fingers slid over the fabric of Fang's shirt just above her lower back. The feeling of heat radiating from her skin was intoxicating as they pressed against each other, and their lingering kisses lasted quite a while longer.

The door suddenly opened, but by the time the flood of light had found the bedpost, Fang was on her side facing the wall pretending to be sleeping and Vanille was standing in front of the armoire gathering her pajamas. The two of them had decided after Vanille's birthday that they would not outright tell any others of what had developed between them at least until one or both of them no longer lived in the orphanage. Neither had any way of knowing how others would react, but between the two of them they could not name a single couple that they had ever heard of that did not consist of one male and one female, so they did not want to risk causing the discomfort of those around them or forcing the Matrons to separate them into different sleeping quarters. The worst situation would involve the two of them facing something as difficult as being thrown out of the orphanage or the village, but neither wanted to think that such consequences could be possible, especially because Fang was fairly certain that a handful of the people in the village already suspected them and no one had said anything cruel.

"Isn't it a little early for you to be going to bed?" Hessa, one of their roommates, whispered to Vanille as she entered the room.

Nodding, the pink-haired girl forced a yawn. "I didn't sleep well last night. What about you?"

"Same." The other girl smiled sheepishly. "I think something must have been going on outside. I kept hearing people talking."

"I heard that, too," Vanille lied, smiling pleasantly as she began to change into her thin nightshirt. When she was finished, she waved to her friend. "Goodnight, Hessa."

As Vanille crawled into the bed with Fang, who still pretended to be sleeping, several more of their bunkmates flooded into the room. The group of them began whispering about the latest gossip as they closed the door to change in the dark. They were rather sensitive about keeping Fang up at night or disturbing her sleep because hunters were so revered in the village that they felt they owed her their respect.

Fang turned over to face Vanille as the others continued their hushed gossip and ran her fingers through her hair, whispering, "That was close."

Stifling a giggle so the others wouldn't hear, Vanille whispered, "Our plan worked great."

"Yeah, good thing we found time to talk about it instead of just kissing all night like you wanted on your birthday," Fang teased with a grin.

"Shh!" Vanille blushed and bit her lip to hide her embarrassment. "What if they hear?"

"Them?" Fang shrugged indifferently. "They're not paying attention."

The younger girl smiled faintly and snuggled timidly closer, not wanting to embrace her while the others were still awake in case someone opened the door but still desiring closeness.

Fang, who was much less concerned by the presence of the others, leaning forwards and captured her lips.

As they broke apart, Vanille gasped urgently, "Fang, what if they see?"

"It's too dark to see us," Fang assured her with a grin before kissing her again.

Vanille complied that time, feeling her cheeks burn, and gradually relaxed as she realized that the other girls really were not paying attention. She was grateful that one of the two girls who had bunked above them over the years had graduated from the orphanage and the other had left to room with another one of her friends, because she doubted that could conceal the slightest sounds of movement from them, but the others were so distracted that they did not notice the sheets rustling ever so faintly as Fang's fingers trailed the length of Vanille's side or as the younger girl wrapped her arms around her neck.

Eventually they did break apart, and Vanille sighed pleasantly before turning away from Fang and leaning back to rest against her. Fang pulled the covers over the two of them and pressed close, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist beneath the sheets where her hold could not possibly be spotted before morning when light flooded the room.

Then she leaned forwards and kissed her cheek, murmuring gently in her ear, "Since you went to bed early, I'll wake you in the morning to say goodbye."

Vanille grinned at that prospect, for she knew that the two of them could sneak away for a little while before Fang had to leave if she woke and dressed right when the other girl did.

Resting her cheek against the pillow close to Vanille's hair, Fang breathed in the scent of her companion and allowed herself to drift into pleasant dreams. The last week had been so fulfilling that she rarely dreamed of anything but Vanille, but she did not mind that, because for the first time in her entire life whenever she woke up, she could expect the same affection that she received in her dream world.

xxx

"Okay, now I _know_ Head Matron suspects about you two." Konnor slid onto the dining hall bench beside Fang and nudged her arm as he set his tray down. "And I mean even more than everyone else suspects."

Fang raised her brow as she ate a wooden forkful of vegetables. "And that's got you all bothered?"

Konnor raised his brows. "Doesn't it bother _you_?"

"I dunno." Fang shrugged indifferently, setting her utensil down and wiping her mouth with the back of her wrist. "I say let her suspect. It's not like she can prove it."

"Oh, yeah, 'cause I'm sure you two keep on your own sides of the bed when you're _sleeping together_, as Vanille loves to call it," Konnor teased with a playful grin. As his features sobered, he suggested, "They'd probably just have to tell your roommates to be real quiet one night and tell them what they hear."

Fang blushed darkly. "Hey, I dunno what's going through _your_ head, but I need to get up really early for morning hunts. All we do at night is cuddle a bit, and we've done that since we were little."

"Well, it wasn't weird when you were little," Konnor pointed out with a chuckle. "Anyway, I just thought you'd be more worried. I dunno if anyone would actually care about the two of you being together or not. I've never heard of anything like this."

"Me either." Fang averted her gaze with a thoughtful frown. "You don't think they'd throw us out of the village or anything, do you?"

"No way. I wouldn't let 'em," Konnor assured her with a triumphant look. "Besides, you've got an in with the Village Chief. He really likes you."

"Says who?" Fang balked.

"What d'you mean?" Konnor raised his brow curiously.

"Chief Torren does _not_ like me," Fang argued with a snort. "He always yells at me and says I do everything wrong. He thinks I'm the worst hunter in all of Gran Pulse."

Konnor burst out laughing. "No, he doesn't."

"Yeah, he does. The other day he told me I wouldn't amount to anything if I didn't clean up my act," Fang insisted with pursed lips, "and I worked my ass off all day."

"I know for a fact he doesn't think you're the worst hunter in the world," Konnor insisted.

"He thinks I'm terrible," Fang replied stubbornly, crossing her arms.

"Maybe that's because you _are_ terrible."

In spite of the insult, a warm smile covered Fang's features as she glanced over her shoulder toward the origin of the adorable voice. Vanille giggled as she slid onto the bench beside her.

"Are we talking about someone you played a prank on?" The younger girl inquired with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Nope, we're talking about hunting, and if you think I'm so terrible, you'd better start worrying about me a little more," Fang replied with a teasing grin. "After all, I'm going out on my own tomorrow for the first time, and there's a lotta danger in the woods."

"What?" Vanille gasped nervously, her eyes widening. "Fang, you _can't_ go out by yourself yet. You're not even a full hunter. There're too many scary things out there."

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it." Fang gave her a rather serious look. "Chief Torren hates me and doesn't think I'll ever learn to follow orders, so he's decided to just send me off on my own to teach me a lesson. Maybe he even wants me to give him a reason to say I can't be a hunter."

Konnor rolled his eyes from Fang's other side and kept to his food.

"But why would he be so cruel?" Vanille gasped frantically.

"Maybe he wants to get rid of me," Fang shrugged.

Vanille covered her mouth, a look of horror covering her features, and exclaimed angrily, "Well, he _can't_ make you go. I'll tell him that myself."

"Will you?" Fang chuckled lightly.

"Calm down, Vanille, and yell at Fang instead of Chief Torren," Konnor exclaimed as he elbowed Fang in the side. "She's just pretending. Apprentice hunters can't go out on their own."

"What?" Vanille blinked.

"That's punishment for saying I was terrible without even knowing what we were talking about," Fang informed her with a grin, though she discretely squeezed her thigh under the table as an apology. "And while we're at it, it's punishment for all the times you got me to do stuff for you by pretending to cry."

Vanille narrowed her eyes, a faintly frightening smile covering her features. "That's okay, Fang. I'll find some way to get you back."

"Oh really?" Fang smirked.

"Yep." Vanille crossed her arms. "So, look out."

Konnor chuckled at the two of them before informing Vanille, "None of what she was saying was believable if you've ever heard Chief Torren talk about her. I dunno what makes her think he hates her. I heard a rumor he said she'd be the best hunter in the village someday."

Fang scoffed. "There's no way he said anything like that."

"You don't _have_ to believe me," Konnor informed her as he turned his chin up. "You'll figure out that he likes you eventually."

Grinning playfully, Fang shook her head at Vanille and mouthed 'he's crazy,' which caused the younger girl to giggle.

"Anyway, I'm off," Konnor exclaimed as finished the last of his meal.

"The blacksmith keeps you busy these days," Fang commented with a faint smirk. "I guess it's to keep your hands off his daughter."

"Well, it doesn't work very well," Konnor snickered, causing Vanille to blush. "Anyway, I think he's okay with me dating her. At first, I thought he wasn't, since he kept working me so hard, but now I get it. He's training me to be his successor since he doesn't have any sons."

"That's a nice arrangement if you're planning on getting married soon." Fang eyed him with a raised brow. "Are you?"

"I dunno. Maybe." It was Konnor's turn to flush. "I never think about that kinda stuff, but once I'm not an apprentice anymore I'll save up some money and then who knows what'll happen."

Fang nodded, mildly surprised that he had uttered anything mature, and noticed that Vanille was having a conversation with one of her friends.

Konnor regained Fang's attention by squeezing her shoulders. "I'll see you tonight. Remember, Head Matron knows. I'm sure of it."

Fang shrugged and waved him off before turning thoughtfully back to her food. Head Matron had started to watch them even more intently than she had before, and whenever one of them left the orphanage on an errand, she always managed to imply that they would inevitably see the other. However, unless any of the matrons followed the two of them on their lunch breaks or ever really saw them alone together, she doubted that there was cause for concern yet, if it even mattered at all. She still thought that nothing terrible would probably happen since most everyone claimed to suspect something about them and no pitch-fork wielding mobs had surrounded the orphanage yet.

The more she thought about it, the more Fang realized that she did not actually care if Head Matron Solstice or anyone else knew about the two of them unless it would cause trouble. Fang felt that their feelings for each other were completely natural, and they were both old enough to make their own decisions, so unless there was some law that she did not know about stating that two girls could not be together, she thought no one could likely contest their relationship anyway. She just hoped that she was correct, because no matter what happened to her, she never wanted to do anything that would put Vanille in danger or threaten her future.

"Fang, what's wrong?"

Fang looked up at the sweet voice that interrupted her thoughts and realized that Vanille's friend had left and the younger girl had been staring at her. She did not want to remind her of her own fears about people discovering the two of them, so instead she forced a smile and suggested gently, "Let's go for a walk."

"I thought you had to get back to the training fields soon," Vanille pointed out.

Usually the two of them shared their lunch hour elsewhere, but for once Fang had not had time in the morning to pack something for the two of them before she left.

"I've got a little time left, and I know just how to spend it," Fang replied with a suggestive grin. Grabbing Vanille's hand and tugging her out of her chair, she murmured, "So, come on."

"Okay," Vanille chirped with a grin as she picked up both of their trays and deposited them on the counter.

The younger girl skipped excitedly behind Fang as the two of them left the orphanage and made their way to their favorite hiding spot. The flowery fields that Vanille had always populated as a young girl were as gorgeous as ever, though it was a little chilly in the autumn air. Vanille did not do a good job combating the cold with the skimpy clothes that she wore. The rest of the girls in the village seemed to dress in the same way, but Fang thought that it must be rather inconvenient for most of them and chose to cover herself in warmer fabrics during the cold seasons, a subject of much teasing from Vanille. The younger girl loved even more to tease Fang about the way her eyes could not seem to stop wandering the more skin she revealed.

Fang watched with a faint grin as Vanille raced to her favorite flower patch, the one from which gorgeous white lilies reached toward the sky in the summer months, and dove into the sweet-smelling grass. The younger girl flopped onto the ground with a giggle and rolled onto her back, resting her hands behind her head. A blissful grin covered her features as she closed her eyes and breathed in the saccharine scent of the natural world.

Fang laughed softly to herself as the wind caused her hair to billow about and watched the younger girl for a little while before crossing the clearing to sit beside her. Vanille stretched her back animatedly and then rolled onto her side to face Fang with a grin.

"You _will_ be the best hunter in the village, you know."

Fang glanced down at her with a playful smile and raised brows. "What's that now?"

"I know you will," Vanille informed her with a sincere smile, her eyes reflecting deep affection. "I believe in you, Fang."

Fang grinned appreciatively, lying on her side to face Vanille and reaching out to twirl her fingers through her dark pink curls. She smirked faintly when the younger girl met her gaze longingly and proclaimed with confidence, "Well, you'll be the best jewelry maker in the village. You already are, in my opinion, but no one asked me."

Vanille beamed happily and dove into Fang, wrapping her arms around her and burying her face in the older girl's chest. She nuzzled into the warmth of Fang's embrace, exclaiming, "I'll believe you, since you still wear that necklace I made."

The dark-haired girl merely smiled and rolled onto her back so that Vanille could rest against her, her arms wrapped tightly around the younger girl's waist. She placed one hand on the back of Vanille's head, and her fingers ran delicately through her pink locks without disturbing the pigtails that the younger girl had taken to wearing lately.

"You know, moments like these are absolutely perfect," Fang murmured gently as she kissed Vanille's forehead and watched the clouds drifting lazily above their heads.

"Hm?" Vanille lifted her head and looked curiously down at her.

Fang met her gaze with a tender grin, her fingertips brushing down the side of Vanille's face. As the younger girl cooed and leaned into her touch, Fang replied, "When the two of us are here together with no one else around, those're the moments that are absolutely perfect."

"I agree," Vanille squealed excitedly. "I wanna stay like this forever, Fang."

With a light chuckle, Fang tightened her embrace, her fingers touching Vanille's side as she closed her eyes.

"What will you do when you leave the orphanage?" Vanille inquired suddenly.

Fang, surprised, opened her eyes to look at her.

Vanille looked away. "Well, Aria just left yesterday since she's getting married. I was thinking how you're not gonna get married, which means you can only stay in the orphanage until you're eighteen, right?"

"Well, when it's time for me to leave the orphanage, they'll raise up a house for me since I'm gonna be a hunter," Fang explained, smiling faintly. "I'll never be far away."

Vanille nodded against her chest and remained silent, but Fang thought she heard the other girl sniffle.

"Hey," Fang murmured gingerly, placing her hand on Vanille's cheek so the girl would look up at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Vanille forced a smile as though to prove her statement.

"Don't do that," Fang reprimanded lightheartedly as she ran her fingers down the side of her cheek. "Remember what I have to do whenever I think you're upset?"

"What?" Vanille raised her brows.

"Cheer you up," Fang replied impishly as she tickled her side.

Vanille let out a squeal of laughter and attempted to squirm away from her, but Fang merely wrapped her arms more firmly around her and kissed her cheek.

"Now, what's really wrong?" She inquired as she brushed her bangs out of her face.

"I just don't want you to leave," Vanille admitted as she bit her lip nervously. "I know it's really silly, but you promised I'd never have to sleep alone."

"Well, try not to think about it too much," Fang replied with a warm smile, since she appreciated that the other girl wanted her to remain. "It won't be for a while now."

"That's true." Vanille smiled cheerfully before resting against her chest again. "I know you've gotta go soon, but I think we should stay just like this."

"For how long?" Fang inquired teasingly as she poked her in the side. "Until the matrons send out a search party?"

Vanille looked up at her, smiling honestly. "I was thinking forever."

Fang's heart skipped a beat and she grinned.

"What?" Vanille's brow raised innocently.

"Nothing," Fang assured her as she suddenly turned them over.

The younger girl giggled in surprise and stared into the gorgeous green eyes that always entranced her, inquiring innocently, "You didn't wanna stay that way after all?"

Fang shrugged nonchalantly, smirking as she leaned forwards and kissed along her jaw line. Pausing at the other girl's ear, she murmured, "I thought you liked when I was on top."

Vanille blushed darkly and giggled as Fang brought their lips together again. The tingling sensation that spread throughout her abdomen as their lips meshed together led her to wonder if all the girls in the village felt so utterly complete when their partners kissed them. She was so happy that it felt as though she were glowing.

Eventually Fang broke away and stared down at her for so long that Vanille threaded her fingers through the messy black locks she adored and grinned shyly under her gaze. "What is it?"

Fang shrugged, pecking her lips. "You're beautiful."

Vanille squealed happily and threw her arms around Fang's neck, pulling her companion into a deeper kiss. The two of them lost track of time kissing and teasing each other in the flowery fields until Fang heard the bell signifying the midday Elder meeting and realized that she was extremely late for her afternoon practice. With a sheepish grin, Vanille waved as the older girl raced out of the fields and then turned to run to the jeweler's house. As she went, she was already planning her excuse, which unfortunately would have to be better then sneaking away with Fang and losing track of time.

Xxx

Vanille let out a shriek of surprise before beginning to laugh.

Fang, who had been walking at her side, paused to glance up at the dark clouds that had just burst overhead, instantly drenching the two of them. The cold rain fell so abundantly that her eyes blinked away the water and she was forced to turn her gaze back to the ground.

Fang grinned at her companion, teasing, "Afraid of a little water?"

Vanille shook her head and spun around in the rain, her arms extended and giggles escaping her lips. "I love rain. I just didn't expect it."

Fang smiled warmly and watched her dance around as she wondered if it would be fine for the two of them to spend a little time enjoying the weather. The matrons had always told them that remaining outside when they were cold and wet could cause them to catch an illness, which in their medically limited village could be devastating. However, Vanille looked so pleased that Fang could not stand to interrupt her.

The two of them had snuck away from the village after dinner that night to spend some time together, but when Vanille had voiced concerns about her upcoming hunt, Fang had given her an impromptu review of forest survival. She cared for Vanille far too much to assume that nothing would go wrong on her hunt, so she frequently gave her bits of advice and showed her forest trails that the hunters had marked over the years so that they could find their way back to the village. By the time that the impromptu lesson was finished and the two of them had spent a bit of time cuddling together as they talked about the various encounters they had had during that day, it was extremely dark outside.

Vanille had finally suggested that they return to the orphanage when a cool breeze that warned of rain blew in, but they had not escaped the forest quickly enough.

"This rain's a little cold," Vanille commented idly as her soaked hair clung to her face and shoulders. A shiver ran through her and she hugged herself.

"It's not so bad when you've got me here," Fang replied cheekily as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and pulled the drenched girl against her.

A warm smile crossed Vanille's lips and she huddled against her as they walked. "Are we still far away?"

Fang glanced around thoughtfully before shrugged. "Maybe another ten minutes in the rain. That's not too far."

Vanille nodded and wrapped her arms around Fang's waist, and an amused and nervous smile covered her features as she wondered what the other villagers might say if they saw them that way. She frequently worried what would happen if anyone knew for sure that there was something between them, but Fang always told her not to worry so she tried not to think about it.

Fang ran her fingers up and down Vanille's arm as the two of them walked, and in the silence she drifted into her own thoughts. The storm would make the ground very wet, which would make it difficult for the hunters to track in the morning if prints and scents had been washed away.

As the two of them neared the village, the rain began to taper off, the droplets still heavy but far less frequent.

"Glad that's over," Fang murmured, glancing up at the sky another time. "Now we've just gotta get back to the orphanage to the shelter of our warm, comfy bed."

Vanille bit her lip. "Since it's not raining so hard, maybe we should stay out a little longer."

"I gotta get up in the morning," Fang pointed out, adding teasingly, "Besides, what would we do in the woods in the middle of the night?"

With an innocent grin, Vanille stepped away and leaned against the nearest tree. "I dunno. Can you think of anything?"

Fang smirked, moving closer until her form pressed gently against Vanille's and gently kissing her lips. As she pulled away, she murmured playfully, "That what you had in mind?"

Vanille nodded, giggling as she wrapped her arms around her neck, and the two of them kissed again, their lips gently moving together.

Suddenly a rumble of thunder shook the forest and a hot streak of lightning lit the entire sky, snapping so loudly that they heard it split the air. Both girl's jumped, and Fang immediately grabbed Vanille's hand and tugged her urgently away from the tree.

"We gotta get inside," Fang exclaimed nervously, watching the sky. "Come on."

Vanille nodded fearfully and pointed into the distance where a plume of smoke rose above the trees. It was almost invisible against the dark clouds. "What's that, Fang?"

"It's a fire." Fang cursed, her eyes widening. "Let's go. If the hunters are there already, they'll probably need my help."

Vanille nodded and released Fang's hand as the two of them began to run. By the time they burst through the forest line, the rain had stopped completely. The closer that they came to the center of the village, the thicker and darker the smoke was against the cloudy night. The village lanterns had all gone out, making it difficult to see where they were going, but the glow of the fire in the distance was like a beacon against the disorienting blackness all around.

Fang paused in her steps, taking Vanille by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. "I'm gonna go see what's happening over there, but you better get back to the orphanage. It's far enough away, so you'll be safe there."

Vanille shook her head, nervously gripping Fang by the upper arms. "Fang, I wanna go with you. What if the hunters aren't there? It's too dangerous for you to go by yourself."

"It's too dangerous for you to go to go no matter what," Fang argued gently, brushing he fingers tenderly across her cheek. "Now, get back to the orphanage. If the lightning strikes again, you can't be outside."

"But Fang—"

"Go back," Fang interrupted gently before kissing her cheek and turning to race toward the fire.

Vanille watched her as she chased the smoke climbing higher and higher into the sky and bit her lip nervously. When the other girl disappeared between the buildings, she hugged herself and looked around. She did not feel safe in the darkness, but she was torn between wanting to trust Fang's wisdom and fearing for her. It was definitely too dangerous, but she just could not let the girl for whom she cared so much run into a terrible situation on her own.

With a resolute nod, Vanille told herself that following Fang was the correct decision and took off in the direction into which Fang had disappeared. It was not difficult to follow the glow of the fire and the plumes rising into the darkness of the night.

Upon reaching the afflicted house, Vanille stopped in her tracks and gasped in horror, her hands covering her face as tears filled her eyes. The house that had been struck by the lightning belonged to Tam Ooran, the most generous farmer in the village who always allowed the orphans to pick apples from his property free of charge in the fall. He was so sweet and gentle that Vanille could not stand the thought of anything happening to him, and all thoughts of staying back until she knew that Fang was okay fled from her mind as she raced through the trees.

Vanille paused at the edge of the forest when she spotted Fang, Chief Torren and many of the other hunters. The majority of the adults were digging trenches around the smoldering house in hope of stopping the fire before it reached the forest, the orchard, or the rest of the village. Vanille was relieved to see that Fang and Chief Torren were standing beside a weary looking Tam Ooran and the rest of his family. She was about to run back to the orphanage as Fang had told her when she noticed that Ooran's family seemed distraught.

Sneaking closer, she noticed that Ooran's granddaughter, who was a little older than herself and Fang and just married two years earlier, was crying and shouting. Vanille moved closer until she could hear what was being said.

"I _have_ to go back inside!" The granddaughter shouted, tears pouring down her cheeks as she attempted to move toward the house. Her husband was holding her back. "My baby is still in there, and she can't get out on her own. She's just too young!"

"Kella, it's too dangerous for you to go inside," Chief Torren argued firmly. "Fang is a little smaller than the rest of us. We're going to try to fit her through the window and if that doesn't work, we'll find some other way to rescue your daughter. You have to stay here where it's safe so we don't need to worry about you, too."

"Little Shani has seen less than a full year of life." Ooran sounded dismayed. "She is my first great grandchild."

Chief Torren placed his hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Ooran, you've done so much for this village. I swear to you that we will rescue Shani at the cost of our own lives if it's necessary."

Ooran looked comforted. "All I ask is that you do your best."

"Always." Chief Torren squeezed his shoulder again before turning away. "Come on, Fang. It's a tight fit, but if Anima wills it, you'll fit through."

Fang and Chief Torren moved to where two hunters were already studying the window. As they approached, one of the hunters told them, "They say she's in a room connected to the one through the window. A wooden beam fell across the window, so it's too small for any of us to fit through. Are you small enough Fang?"

Fang furrowed her brows as she surveyed the window. "I really don't think so. I'll try if you want, but it looks too small."

"She's almost as big as Dorin, and he couldn't get through. I think we should just go around the back of the house. The fire's spreading too quickly on the eastern side of the house and in the front, but it hasn't reached this side of the house yet."

"It's moving too fast. We don't have enough time," Fang exclaimed urgently, stepping forwards as she dropped her light jacket on the ground. "I gotta try to get in that window or we'll lose that little girl."

"You'd just be wasting time," Chief Torren scolded, frowning. "I agree that you won't fit through. The window's smaller than I thought. Let's focus on what we _can_ achieve and go around the back of the house for another entrance."

"What if there isn't another one?" Fang argued.

Vanille, realizing that she might be their only hope, immediately ran to their sides. "I'm small enough to fit through the window!"

The hunters jumped, surprised to see her, and Fang stared incredulously. "Vanille, what're you doing here? I thought you were going back to the orphanage where it's safe."

Vanille ignored Fang's question and appealed to Chief Torren. "I know I'm small enough to fit through that window. I could climb up and pass the baby out the window to one of you. I'm a really fast runner, so even if they fire spread while I was inside—"

"No. That's way too dangerous," Fang argued immediately, stepping forwards. "Vanille, the house is falling apart. One wrong step and you could fall through the ceiling. If there was no way out, we couldn't get to you."

"There's less chance I'll fall through the ceiling than one of you," Vanille insisted, pouting. "I'm a lot lighter."

"I don't care," Fang replied firmly before turning to the others. "Come on. We gotta hurry and find a way in before this whole house burns down, and someone tell Ooran and his family to get out of here. They shouldn't be standing inside of the trenches with the way the fire's spreading so quickly."

"Chief Torren, I'm small enough to fit inside," Vanille interrupted, stepping forwards and touching the older hunter's arm. "Please, let me try. That little baby's life could depend on it."

The chief frowned thoughtfully, sizing her before looking to the window.

"No. She's _not_ going in there," Fang suddenly snapped, narrowing her eyes at the chief. "It's too dangerous. She's got no training and she hasn't even gone on her first hunt yet. If she gets trapped, there might not be a way out and then we'll lose both of them."

"But she's the only one who can fit, and she said she's fast," Chief Torren pointed out.

"I don't care if she says she can fly," Fang cried incredulously, clenching her fists. "She's not going in there and that's final."

Chief Torren pursed his lips before sighing and nodding. "I'm sorry, Vanille, but Fang's right. You don't have any training and this is very dangerous, so leave it to us and stay with the others."

The hunters began moving around the house, but Fang stayed back as she let out a relieved sigh. Turning to Vanille, who was pouting at her with tears in her eyes, she placed her hands gently on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you go in there, Vanille." She brushed her hair out of her eyes. "If I lost you, I don't think I could go on, so go back to the orphanage and wait for me, okay?"

"But Fang, I could save that little girl," Vanille insisted, crossing her arms. "Nothing'll happen to me. I'll climb in quick and then carry her back out."

"It's not safe," Fang snapped, looking her in the eyes. She begged, "Pleas go back to the orphanage and wait for me."

"Fang," Chief Torren interrupted firmly, "we've got to hurry."

"I'm coming." Fang squeezed Vanille's shoulders before releasing her and following the village chief around the house.

"Fang, I can't just go back to the orphanage," Vanille insisted under her breath, knowing that the other girl would not leave if she could hear her. "I can _do_ this!"

Vanille watched the others walk around the side of the smoldering house and determined that it was unfair of all of them to treat her as though she could do nothing on her own. If one of them had given her a boost and then waited for her, she most likely could have gone into and come back out of the house rather quickly, but instead she would have no choice but to act on her own. Even though she knew that Fang was correct in telling her that it was dangerous, a child's life was at stake! She could not stand around idly and wait.

Turning around quickly, Vanille asked the family, "Which room is the baby in?"

Ooran's granddaughter snapped to attention, her eyes widening desperately. "Are you going to help?"

"Kella, she doesn't look like a hunter." Her husband furrowed his brows. "What are you doing here? The fire's too dangerous for someone your age."

"I'm not that young, and I'm the only one small enough to climb into the window," Vanille replied, annoyed. "Now which room is the baby in?"

"It's too dangerous for you to go in there," Ooran interrupted. "It's Vanille, right?"

The pink-haired girl nodded.

"I know you want to help because we've been kind to you over the years, Vanille, but the best thing you can do right now is return to the orphanage and let the hunters sort this out," Ooran exclaimed. "We all just have to trust that Chief Torren knows what he's doing."

"Chief Torren would've let me go if Fang wasn't here," Vanille huffed, crossing her arms stubbornly. "If you won't tell me where your great granddaughter is, then I'll just have to find her myself."

"If she wants to help—"

"No, Kella," Ooran interrupted firmly. "Vanille, please just sit with us and wait for the hunters to return. They will save Shani as promised."

Vanille placed her hands on her hips, her lips forming a tightly line as she tried to decide what to do. Even though she knew that attempting to save the child herself would be dangerous, she truly felt that Fang and the others would not have time to get to her unless they went through the window that was too small for any of them. With that thought in mind, she immediately turned around and raced toward the burning house, which she was convinced would collapse before the hunters could reach the child.

As she went, Vanille took the sash that she had tied around her waist that morning as a belt and tied it around her mouth and nose to keep the smoke out as best she could. She heard Ooran and the others shouting for her to stop and shouting for the hunters to stop her, but no one could reach her in time.

The fifteen-year-old immediately gripped the rough wooden planks of the house and began to pull herself upwards, ignoring the pain of the splinters scratching against her fingers. She had never been very skilled when it came to climbing downwards, but over the last year she had mastered the skill of climbing up trees and over walls. It did not take her long to drag herself through the small window, and she was surprised at how small the opening was when her leg caught against a splinter sticking out of the frame and a scrape formed on her skin.

Vanille ignored the trivial wound and dropped into the house. An unbearable blast of heat hit her in the face, causing her skin to immediately bead with sweat. The smoke was next to come, filling her eyes and penetrating the thin silk she had wrapped around her face. In an attempt to protect herself, Vanille covered her mouth and nose with her own hand. Then she pushed her way through the disorienting haze of pollutants and stumbled over fallen beams and overturned furniture as she moved toward the only door in the room. She pressed the back of her hand to the wood to make sure that it was cool before pushing the door open and passing through the frame.

The cradle was easy on her eyes, sending a wave of relief through her form, but then she realized that the room was eerily silent. Her eyes filled with desperate tears as she begged fate to be kind, because the child was not crying.

With a sense of desperation growing in her breast, Vanille ran to the cradle and took the infant into her arms, holding her to her chest as she stroked her hair.

"Come on, little one," Vanille whispered gently. "Make a noise."

The infant remained unmoving, so Vanille lifted the baby into the air and pressed her ear to her chest. A sigh of relief passed through her lips as she realized that the child's heart was still beating and her breath was weak. Knowing that this life was more precious than her own, Vanille removed the sash from around her face and wrapped it around the child's face, covering her mouth and nose and hoping that she could escape from the house before the child was smothered. It was better for her not to breathe in the smoke, so perhaps the Gods would allow her to breathe filtered air through the fabric.

"Let's go, little Shani," Vanille murmured hoarsely as smoke filled her lungs. "I'm bringing you back to your mommy and daddy."

Vanille received no response from the child, so as her fear grew, she immediately ran to the door through which she had entered. Just as she passed through the frame, a beam in the ceiling cracked loudly, weakened by the flames climbing across the roof, and fell into her path. Vanille screamed, holding the infant to her chest with one arm as she covered her head with the other, and dove out of the way as sparks spread in every direction. She jumped to her feet and took several staggering steps backwards when the path in front of her suddenly burst into flame.

"Oh, Anima, please let there be another way out," Vanille cried, taking one step towards the wave of heat and attempting to spot a path through the flames.

Another beam collapsed, bringing with it a rush of fire, and Vanille had no choice but to back into the child's bedroom. She slammed the door shut in an attempt to hold the flames back and allowed herself only a moment to think. Knowing that it would take her longer to leave the house than she had originally thought, she immediately tore up one of the blankets in the cradle and used it to create a pack for herself. She wrapped the baby inside of the pack and then tied it at her neck and around her waist so that she could carry the little girl without using her hands. Then she used the ripped fabric to create another scarf for herself and hoped that she would not suffocate before she escaped from the house.

Vanille then pushed the second door in the bedroom open and dropped to the floor to crawl through the thick smoke. Her eyes stung and the fire at her back raced toward her, devouring the wooden frame of the house all around her. She closed her eyes tightly and urged herself to move faster, ignoring the painful bruises forming on her knees and the rough wood that tore at her fingers. Her adrenaline began to race as she realized that the end could be near. There was no escape unless she could find another exit.

The pink-haired girl darted into the first door that she found, kicking it open from the floor because she was afraid to stand. The door's hinges whined as it swung open, and its movement only stalled when it hit the wall with a resounding thud. She stood in the mostly smoke-free room and ran to the window, but her heart fell and a gasp of dismay escaped her lips when she realized that the window had recently been shut off, new wooden planks with no signs of decay having been hammered across the frame. It would be impossible for her to break the wood without some kind of weapon, and she doubted that she had the energy to expend attempting to use her own strength. With a hopeless cry, she ran back into the hallway.

Her foot caught on a beam that had fallen into her path and Vanille flew forwards with a shriek of surprise. When her shoulder hit the floor, she felt a burst of pain that was quickly pushed away by the fear of the flames racing toward her. Hot smoke filled her nostrils and tears came to her eyes, but she told herself to be strong as she stumbled forwards, crawling on her hands and knees at a speed faster than she had ever imagined. There was only one more door in the hallway closed off at each end by towers of flame, so no matter what the state of the windows that she found, she would have to escape through that room.

Her head began to sway dizzily from the smoke as she crawled through the final door in the hallway. The only sound that she could hear was the beating of her own heart in her ears, and she had no idea if the baby tied to her back was even still alive. Her chest began to ache and heave as she dragged herself weakly toward the window, and it took all of the strength within her to pull herself up so that she could look out the window. The breath of fresh air that rewarded her was sweet, but the smoke in her lungs caused her to cough painfully.

There was no time to waste, so she dragged herself over the edge of the window and turned around as quickly as she could. Fleetingly, she prayed that the baby was secured to her back tightly enough that she would not fall to the ground as they were making their escape out the window.

Vanille dug her feet into the ruts between the planks of the house as she began her shaky decent. The fresh air reminded her that her eyes and throat still burned from the smoke-induced trauma, and her fingers trembled as she weakly lowered herself. The world was spinning by the time she was only a few steps from the ground, and one sway too many caused her feet to slid out from under her.

While still in the air she had the sense to turn herself around so that she would not crush the baby, but the world went black before she even hit the ground.

Xxx

Fang and the other hunters had walked around the side of the house several times attempting to figure out how to get inside, but there was only one other available window and that, too, was too small for even Fang to fit through. The group of them had decided that there was little chance of rescuing the child, and their only hope was to enter from the downstairs and attempt to hack their way through the ceiling and climb through the hole that they made. However, when they had returned to tell Ooran of their plans, he had frantically informed them that Vanille had climbed into the house against Chief Torren's orders and they had not heard from her since then.

In a fit of panic, Fang had immediately scaled the wall beneath the window that Vanille had used to enter the house and tried desperately to push herself through. However, she determined quickly that even Vanille would not have been able to return the way that she had come because of the flames climbing the walls and the fallen wooden beams. That thought had caused her to drop herself promptly to the ground and motion for the hunters to follow her, because they had all seen the only other second-story exit. Vanille would have no choice but to leave through the one other window, which meant that they could help her down if she had not been trapped somewhere inside.

That thought left Fang feeling beyond petrified, but she pushed her emotions away knowing that she might need to quickly come up with a plan to rescue the other girl.

It only took Chief Torren and the other hunters a few minutes to race around the side of the house and find the only exit that Vanille could take, and Fang was relieved to see Vanille safely escaping and climbing down until the girl suddenly fell and landed hard on her side. When she did not move, Fang felt a swell of panic ensnare her.

"Vanille!" She shouted desperately, racing to her side and shaking her shoulder. "Wake up, Vanille. Tell me you're okay."

"The baby's not crying," Chief Torren commented as he knelt at Vanille's back and immediately removed the baby from her side. "I'll have to try breathing for her. There's no time to summon a healer now."

Fang raised her brow and watched for a moment as Chief Torren placed the baby on her back on the ground and gently pinched her nose. He then breathed into her mouth, pulling away to watch her for a second before repeating the process several times. His efforts were rewarded with a loud whining cry from the child as she immediately awoke and began searching vainly for her parents.

"How'd you do that?" Fang demanded frantically, her nervous gaze returning to Vanille's unmoving form.

Chief Torren handed the baby to one of the other hunters and instructed him to return her to her family before he moved to tend to Vanille. He pulled the younger girl onto her back and pressed his ear close to her lips, sighing in relief.

"She's still breathing, Fang, but after all the smoke, she could probably use some clean air. I'm no healer, but I suggest you give her some of your breath."

Fang had no idea what that would accomplish, but she was willing to try anything. "How do I do it?"

"Just pinch her nose so none of the air escapes and breath into her mouth," Chief Torren instructed gently.

Fang nodded, her heart racing anxiously as she wondered if she could somehow mess up. She should have paid more attention in her healing classes.

"She'll be fine, Fang," Chief Torren assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking her in the eyes. "Just give her a few breaths and then get her away from this house. We'll be waiting outside of the trenches."

Fang nodded and took a breath to calm herself before she leaned forwards and pressed her mouth to Vanille's, gently plugging her nose as she released her breath between her lips. She repeated the process twice before wrapping the smaller girl delicately in her arms and picking her up. Then Fang carried Vanille around the house to where Chief Torren and the other hunters were waiting with Ooran's family.

Vanille suddenly blinked and squirmed around.

"It's okay, Vanille." Fang paused to look at her. "You're okay."

"Fang?" Vanille exclaimed nervously, her voice still hoarse. She wrapped her arms around her neck to keep he balance. "Is the baby okay?"

"Yeah, I think she's gonna be fine thanks to you." Fang smiled emotionally, holding her more tightly. "You're a hero, but don't ever do that again. I was so scared when I saw you fall."

Vanille smiled weakly as she relaxed into her grasp. "What about the fire?"

"There's nothing we can do but let it burn and hope the rain starts up again," Fang replied gently as she resumed her footsteps, carrying Vanille effortlessly.

"You're really strong," Vanille murmured sleepily as she nuzzled against her.

"Yeah?" Fang smirked faintly. "I try my best."

Suddenly the clouds opened and rain began to pour down on the two of them. Vanille smiled in spite of beginning to shiver. "It's raining!"

"Looks like the Gods don't want old Ooran to lose his fields," Fang commented idly.

"It's because he's such a good man," Vanille exclaimed agreeably as she tightened her hold around Fang's neck. "I'm so tired. I'm glad I saved that little girl, but everything hurts."

"You'll get to rest soon." Fang's breath caught unexpectedly in her throat as she thought about what it might have felt like to lose Vanille. "Do you want a bath before bed? I bet I could convince Chief Torren to let us use the hunter's bathhouse."

"Really?" Vanille's smile was excited in spite of how weak she felt.

"Yup. You're sure dirty enough," Fang replied humorously, trying to lighten the mood. "Look at all that soot in your hair."

Vanille merely giggled. "I hope Chief Torren says it's okay. I love the bathhouse."

When they reached the others, Fang set Vanille down and was bare able to move out of the way as the mother of the rescued child threw her arms around the weak pink-haired girl's form and began blubbering all over her, tears of gratitude pouring down her cheeks.

"You are the most wonderful person in this world!" She cried, hysterical with relief. "I must find some way to repay you."

"I-I was just doing what's right," Vanille insisted weakly, patting the other woman's back.

After the granddaughter of Ooran released her, Vanille stumbled back towards Fang and smiled gratefully when the older girl steadied her by placing her hand on her lower back.

Ooran crowded around the rescued little girl with the rest of his family before he pulled away and hobbled towards Fang and Vanille with a look of relief and gratitude. He clasped Vanille's hands into his own and smiled brightly.

"I know you're an orphan, little Vanille, but from this point forwards, I consider you to be a part of our family," Ooran informed her gently. "If you ever want to leave the orphanage, even just for a night or two, you will always find a place here. And if you ever need anything, never hesitate to ask me. I can never fully repay you for saving my great granddaughter's life."

"Thank you," Vanille gasped, looking touched. "I'm just glad she's okay."

"No. I'm the one who must thank you." Ooran squeezed her hands before leaving the two of them to return to his family members. With a grin, he informed his loved ones, "We're all alive! This is a moment for rejoicing."

Fang wrapped her arm around Vanille and grinned at her, teasing, "Looks like you've got a new place to live once they get their house rebuilt. They might even let you have your own bed."

Vanille giggled and wrapped her arms tightly around Fang's waist, shaking her head. "Fang, the only place I wanna live is with you."


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note: Hi, everyone. Here's the next chapter! I have another big test coming up, so the next update might take a while. I hope you like this one! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Vanille awoke with a pleasant sigh as a beam of golden sunlight slipped between the curtains and washed over her face. She stretched, groaning softly, and gave a start when she felt a warm body lying beside her. Her eyes fluttered open, a brow arching in surprise, as she turned her head to the side. Fang was still curled up next to her, her strong arms wrapped around her abdomen and her head nestled against her shoulder. Vanille bit her lip, a faint smile rising to her features as the slightest hints of pink covered her face.

Had any of their roommates seen them cuddled together?

A quick survey of the room provided that everyone else had already awoken and left. There was no reason that any of them should spy on her in the morning, so it was doubtful that anyone would have noticed, especially because of the way that Fang rested against her half buried in the blankets in spite of the arrival of the warmer seasons.

As she snuggled back into the covers, she struggled to think of a reason why Fang should still be lying beside her when the sun had risen hours earlier. She would have remembered if Fang had been given a vacation day, and besides, Fang was so used to waking up early that she never slept in any more. Another matter of concern was the morning hunt. If Fang had not gone, that meant that the hunt was canceled, but there were no upcoming festivals and Chief Torren would have no business to attend, so had Fang merely played hooky? Vanille simply could not imagine that.

Finally giving up, she decided to let Fang tell her what was going on as she nudged her shoulder.

Fang's eyes blinked open, her lashes fluttering against Vanille's shoulder, and she lifted her head to look at her. A sleepy, lopsided grin covered her features. "Good morning, gorgeous."

Vanille grinned in spite of her confusion and poked Fang in the ribs. "What're you still doing here, Fang? Shouldn't you be with the other hunters?"

"Forgot what day it is?" Fang raised her brow playfully as she leaned forwards and brushed her lips against her cheek.

Giggling as her skin tickled, Vanille mumbled, "What day is it?"

"Nothing you're gonna be excited about," Fang murmured sympathetically, her lips bearing a delicate smile. "You really don't remember?"

"Just tell me," Vanille demanded, growing frustrated.

"Vanille, you've been worrying about this all week." Fang tilted her head to the side. "How'd you forget?"

The pink-haired girl's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! I-I dunno how..."

Fang ran her fingers through her hair and caressed the side of her cheek. "You'll be fine. You don't think I'd let anything happen to you, do you?"

"Did Chief Torren change his mind?" Vanille gasped hopefully.

"No, he still won't let me go," Fang huffed, rolling her eyes. "Says I'll interfere with your hunt. I dunno why he thinks so. I'd let you do everything yourself."

"O-Oh." Vanille pouted, casting her gaze away. "I thought maybe..."

"Disappointed?" Fang chuckled lightly, reaching for her hand beneath the covers. "I'll still find a way to protect you, so don't you worry."

Vanille peeked over her shoulder one last time to make sure that there was no one in the room with them before she turned on her side and cuddled close, burying her face in Fang's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her. "I don't wanna go. Why does _everyone_ have to do this? I'll never be a hunter. I hate hurting animals, and I'm not that strong."

"You're a lot stronger than you think," Fang pointed out, poking her in the side for emphasis before wrapping her arm around her waist and holding her close.

"I hope so." Vanille sighed anxiously and nuzzled into Fang's embrace, soothed by the warm tingling feeling in the pit of her abdomen. "I should've known what today was when everyone was up already. No one usually wakes before the morning bell."

"No one but me," Fang reminded as she rested her cheek against the top of her head. "We should get out there. Nothing'll start until the morning bell, but it's still better to be a little early."

"I don't care." Vanille pouted and leaned up to brush their noses together as she insisted, "This is making me feel better, so I'm not moving."

Fang laughed and leaned forwards to peck her lips. "Fine by me."

They rested in each other's arms until the morning bell rang at which time Vanille pulled reluctantly away and sat on the edge of the bed. A twisting feeling clenched her gut and she felt as though she would be sick. Even after all of the training that Fang had given her, she was still absolutely terrified of her first hunt. There were monsters in the forest that she had never had to face, colossal creatures that she could not even begin to imagine, and in spite of Fang's assurance that the hunt would take place in a safe part of the forest, she remembered what had happened on Fang's first hunt.

"You'll be fine," Fang repeated as she sat at her side and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "Now, hurry up and get dressed. We're late, and if you miss the hunt, they'll call you fourteen for another year."

"Really?" Vanille gasped.

Snickering, Fang shook her head. "Nope. They'll just come get you and Chief Torren'll be mad about the delay."

Vanille smiled faintly, leaning up to kiss Fang's cheek. "We better go then."

With a nod, Fang stood and dressed in her usual sari. Meanwhile, Vanille dressed as quickly as she could, fumbling with her clothes because she was nervous.

Fang looked her over as she finished changing and chuckled. "You're going hunting in that?"

"So?" Vanille looked herself up and down, studying one of her usual skimpy outfits. "You go hunting all the time in that thing."

"This _thing_? You don't like it?" Fang smirked, teasing, "Besides, you're more undressed than dressed."

"Are you complaining?" Vanille replied with a giggle, biting her lip and blushing faintly.

Fang raised her brow playfully and shook her head. "Never."

Another bell rang and suddenly Chief Torren's loud voice drifted through the hallways. It was difficult to know what he was saying, but Fang could be certain that he was starting to lecture the new hunters about what their experience would hold.

"Come on. We don't wanna miss his speech, now do we?" Fang smiled faintly.

Vanille turned to face her, all semblance of a smile escaping her as her lips trembled nervously. "Fang..."

The older girl tugged her into her arms, holding her close and pressing her cheek to her hair. "I promise you'll be fine."

"I know I'll be okay." Vanille snuggled against her, her fingers gripping tightly to the fabric at Fang's lower back. "I just don't wanna go."

Fang weaved her fingers through her soft hair, breathing in the sweet scent of her, before she finally released her. "Come on. If you miss all the announcements, Chief Torren'll yell at me."

"Why you?" Vanille blinked, tilting her head.

Fang laughed softly, cupping her cheek in her hand. "He'll know I was the one who kept you from getting there on time in the first place."

Vanille managed a faint smile as she turned away from Fang and drew in a deep breath. Before leaving the room, she was sure to reach for her weapon, a binding rod that would help the other hunters more than it was likely to help her. She had chosen her weapon while thinking about how difficult it might be for her to kill. Every hunting class to prepare her for the ceremonial first hunt that everyone in the village experienced had served as a reminder that she did not feel comfortable taking a life. She had never stopped hoping that Chief Torren would eventually cave and allow Fang to join her. Thus, she had taken the binding rod hoping that she could hold a monster down while Fang stole the glory and killed it for her.

Knowing that the other girl would not be there, Vanille hoped that her choice of weapon would not put her in danger. Would the older hunter partnered with her make the kill for her or would he force her to prove that she was capable of functioning as an adult in their village?

"You ready?" Fang inquired gently.

Vanille nodded nervously, not sure that she was being honest.

The two of them walked down the hallway, Fang's arm still draped around her shoulders, as Chief Torren's voice grew louder with each step. When the younger girl paused hesitantly in the doorway, Fang placed her hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Her action prompted a grateful look from Vanille, who briefly hugged her even though others might be able to see them. Then the pink-haired girl slipped through the door, disappearing into the crowd of matrons and fifteen-year-olds from the orphanage and the village alike.

Fang chose to hover in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watching Chief Torren as memories of her own first hunt filled her mind.

"Today is the day of your first hunt." Chief Torren studied all the young villagers who had turned fifteen that year with a discerning frown. "As some of you may have heard from older members of the village, we will spend this entire week in the woods. As long as everyone does what the older hunters say and no one tries to hunt on their own, everyone will be perfectly fine and safe. Each of you will be assigned one experienced hunter who will help you track your kill, but it will be your responsibility to strike the final blow. No one is to be on their own at any part during this hunt. Is that understood?"

A few brave voices of dissent rose among the teenagers and Fang smirked nostalgically and hoped that no one would be foolish enough to follow in Konnor's path.

"Obviously some of you don't understand, so I'll explain." Chief Torren narrowed his eyes faintly. "A few years ago, someone almost died because two of the new hunters decided to go out on their own. The two of them ran into a King Behemoth that almost claimed their lives."

"Did they defeat it?" Someone gasped excitedly.

"No. They were able to run away—a miracle," Chief Torren replied with a tight frown. "Anyone who behaves that way will be banned from becoming a hunter, but that's the least of your worries if you decide to go out on your own. Survival is key during the first hunt, and stupidity is no way to survive."

Chief Torren suddenly met eyes with Fang perched in the doorway and she smiled innocently, laughing when he rolled his eyes. By the time that the others had turned to see who he was looking at, Fang had already disappeared into the hallway. After all, Vanille had been so nervous in the morning that she had forgotten two extremely important things. Fang hoped desperately that she would not need anything to save her life, but one could never be too careful in the woods.

By the time that Fang returned from their bedroom, the hunters new and old had already begun the trek to the edge of the village where the parents of those who were not orphans and the matrons would wish everyone goodbye and whisper prayers to anima begging for the protection of their young. In older times, it was much more common for new hunters to die, but under the last village chief things had changed drastically.

Fang broke into a brisk walk, doubting that she would need to run to catch the group of them, and felt relieved when she saw that Chief Torren had decided to give them yet another lecture on safety before they actually left the village. As he spoke, parents were suffocating their young in tight embraces and wishing them well. Vanille stood by herself glancing around apprehensively, gently biting her lip, and Fang could not help but watch her for a moment with a warm smile on her face. The other girl wanted to see her before she left.

Eventually, Fang came up behind Vanille, tapping her on the shoulder as an amused grin lit her features. Vanille immediately jumped, startled, and turned to face her with a slightly angry look on her face.

"Where were you?" The pink-haired girl pouted. "I thought you wouldn't say goodbye."

"I had something to take care of," Fang replied vaguely.

Vanille, ignoring the presence of the others all around them, immediately wrapped her arms around Fang's waist, hugging her tightly, and whispered, "Can't you come with me, Fang? I'm scared."

Fang gave her a squeeze before placing her hands on her shoulders as she pulled away from her. Looking her in the eyes, she murmured, "I said you'd be fine, didn't I? I'd never lie to you, Vanille."

"Do you promise?" Vanille pouted.

"Yes, I promise." Fang squeezed her shoulders gently before untying a pouch and a dagger from her waist and pushing them into Vanille's hands. "You forgot these after I went to all that trouble sending you to find them on your birthday. These'll keep you safe, but don't do anything dangerous, hm?"

"I won't," Vanille promised, giggling as she tied both the drawstring pouch and dagger at her belt. "I better listen to Chief Torren."

"I'll see you when you get back then." Fang smiled warmly before disappearing into the crowd. She waited until Chief Torren had finished his speech before she pulled him aside, placing her hand on his arm and frowning seriously. "Keep her safe, will you?"

The chief nodded, a look of surprise flitting across his features. "I expected you to demand to go."

"I already tried that, remember?" Fang placed her hands on her hips. "You threatened not to let me be a hunter if I didn't shut up and leave you alone."

"And you told me you didn't care about becoming a hunter if it meant keeping Vanille safe," Chief Torren reminded her with a smile that was half-amused and half-respectful. "Fang, I partnered myself with Vanille so that I could look after her. I know how important she is to you."

"Thanks." Fang sighed, looking away. "I really wanna go. I'll spend the whole week worrying anyway."

"I know that, but you can't watch her every second. If you're going to be a hunter, you'll be leaving the village for weeks at a time sometimes," Chief Torren lectured, placing his hand on her shoulder and squeezing it gently. He lowered his voice, adding, "I know how you feel about her, Fang, but she needs to be able to take care of herself, too."

Fang's eyes widened and she looked nervously at him. "I..."

He laughed lightly, interrupting her, "Most of the villagers have their suspicions, but after the fire, I _know_. I won't let anything happen to her, so don't worry all week."

A relieved sigh passed through her lips.

"You're my favorite student, you know," Chief Torren added offhandedly.

Fang scoffed. "Funny way of showing it."

"Consider protecting Vanille my way of showing it." Chief Torren tilted his head to the side. "Is that okay with you?"

"That's the best way you _could_ show it," Fang replied, smiling sincerely for once. "Take care, Chief. I'll see you when you get back."

He nodded, retracting his hand from her shoulder, and scolded, "By the way, don't think this week will be a vacation, Fang. I've instructed Head Matron Solstice to keep an eye on you and if you're not out training every single day at the crack of dawn, I'll make you wait an extra year before you become a full-fledged hunter. Got it?"

Fang laughed wryly. "I was wondering when the real Chief Torren would get back. I thought maybe the Cocoon fal'Cie had screwed up your brain or something."

The chief chuckled and gave her a nod of acknowledgement before he turned his attention back to the young hunters, who were all eagerly awaiting his command. As Chief Torren motioned for everyone to follow him out of the village, Fang met eyes with Vanille. The younger girl's smile was nervous, but it was clear that she was trying to put up a brave front. Fang chose to offer her the best reassuring smile that she could muster, suppressing her own worry because there was no way that she could help her this time.

The very thought of Vanille out there without her made her stomach twist uncomfortably, but as Chief Torren had said, she could not be there for her all the time.

xxx

The first and second day of the hunt were relatively uneventful. Those two days were used to allow the new hunters time to accustom themselves to the forest and review tracking. Vanille, who had received many lessons from Fang over the last few months, excelled in both technique and style. She was pleased, feeling that she had probably impressed Chief Torren, until he began to comment on the way that her techniques resembled Fang's.

On the third day of their ceremonial first hunt, the new hunters were divided into groups of three new hunters and each of their experienced escorts. Vanille was not surprised to be paired with Chief Torren after the way that he and Fang had talked directly before her hunt began, but she did find it strange that he was so friendly with her. He frequently joked and told stories, mostly about Fang, and Vanille came to realize that the chief was actually quite fond of his apprentice against what Fang had always told her.

Vanille felt a little bit better knowing that she would never be on her own during the hunt, and the other members of her group showed promise. The two new hunters who joined her were Temion Kora, a strong girl with a good sense of direction and very sensitive ears, and Etha Pol, a boy she knew from her classes. The two experienced hunters were Kun Ecko, the medical man, and Talon Mak, possibly the second most experienced and revered hunter in the village.

"Tonight we'll each choose a kill," Chief Torren explained as the six of them huddled around a small fire. The heat of the crackling flames was pleasant against their faces as dusk fell around them. "We'll stay together at all times in order to make sure that you're all protected, but each new hunter will be able to make their own kill with the help of their partner. The others will remain nearby to help."

"Can I go first?" Pol demanded excitedly. "I wanna be a hunter."

Chief Torren nodded, smiling faintly. "That's fine."

The bushes suddenly rustled, the sound of leaves brushing together almost like a whisper of laughter in the wind. The older hunters tensed just in time for half a pack of wolves to pounce, drooling hungrily as snarls escaped from their wide jaws.

Chief Torren's reaction was immediate. He had already killed two wolves with arrows through the skulls when he shouted, "New hunters, get behind me!"

Pol and Kora immediately dove behind him, both of them raising their weapons, but Vanille's reaction was delayed because fear gripped her heart. Her breath was trapped inside of her by the time that she finally came to her senses and stood from the wooden bench. As the older hunters took on three of the wolves, Vanille stumbled toward the others. Her foot caught on a root and she landed on her stomach with a shriek of surprise, gaining Chief Torren's attention. For his concern, he was rewarded with a long scratch down the side of his face as the wolf facing him reminded him to focus.

Vanille turned over and scrambled backwards, adrenaline rushing through her as a large black wolf padded toward her, a sinister smirk revealing all of its sharp teeth. She began to hyperventilate as fear filled her, and the only thought running through her mind was that she was about to die and there was no one there to rescue her. Then suddenly calm washed over her as she realized that she was not defeated yet. It was just a wolf. Even if it was dangerous, she had so much training and she knew the woods so well.

With an urgent gasp, Vanille stood, twisting out of the way as the wolf pounced at her, and raced through the trees. Her heartbeat was throbbing so loudly in her ears that she did not hear Chief Torren's panicked voice shouting after her.

Vanille was so entranced by her terror that she did not notice Chief Torren bursting through the trees after her. She did not realize that the wolf had fallen with one arrow lodged in its hind leg and one arrow in its throat. The loud, frantic chirping of the insects all around her and the adrenaline coursing through her veins seized her, confusing her, and she ran and ran.

Finally she stopped running.

Breaths left her in deep gasps as her chest heaved, and Vanille looked around, her eyes widening as she realized that she did not recognize her surroundings. Darkness had fallen, painting the world in hollow grey tones, and she was not even sure that she had escaped from the wolf. Assuming that it would explode out of the bushes at any moment and tear her throat out with its sharp claws, Vanille could not slow the frantic beating in her chest and thought for certain that her heart was going to erupt.

"Anima," Vanille whispered gently, daring to cover her eyes with her hands. "Let the others find me."

A low, rumbling growl shook the earth behind her and Vanille felt her heart drop into her stomach as her entire form quivered with fear. Even though she wanted it to end quickly, just like a nightmare fading into the darkness of her room as she cuddled into Fang's arms, she had to turn around and look her fate in the eyes.

A staggering breath was released painfully from her lungs as her entire body became so rigid that she shook. Standing in the shadowy mouth of the cave was a giant bear, its pelt shimmering chestnut in the light of the moon. It stood on its hind legs, beady black eyes locking with hers as it stood at its full height, lifting its arms above its head to strike her and roaring so powerfully that she felt the wind rise up behind it and attempt to blow her over.

Vanille did not hear the scream erupt from her own lips as she ducked under its blow, covering her head with her hands, and then turned to race away. The bear's footsteps thundered, causing the ground beneath her feet to quake, as it gained on her. Her two short legs could not carry her far, and it was not long before the bear had her cornered against a tree. The moon seemed to shine blood red in the sky and tears trembled down her cheeks as she glanced around desperately. There had to be some escape.

The bear came closer to her, its mouth opening wide as it released another earth-shaking roar. She felt its breath and spit on her face and watched in petrified horror as it lifted one arm to strike the final blow. She barely ducked out of the way in time, and the force of the bears claws tore the bark from the tree. It slashed at her again, and that time she had no choice but to drop completely to the ground and roll out of its grasp. It attempted to stomp on her, but she was too small and quick for the loud creature.

Vanille immediately raced behind the tree, pressing her back to it as she listened to the bear. It would have no choice but to search for her, and no matter which side of the tree it peeked around, she would be ready to run in the opposite direction. Bears were fast, but her adrenaline was now rushing so fast and her heart was pounding so hard that she felt as though she were dreaming. There was no pain or exhaustion, only fear and survival.

The bear roared loudly, swinging around the tree so quickly that it almost snapped its jaws around the side of her face. She ducked out of the way just in time and released another series of shuddering breaths as she tore across the clearing. Her only instinct was to reach higher ground, so she immediately grabbed the lowest branch of the nearest tree and swung herself up onto it with strength that she did not know she had. Another minute saw her scrambling up three more branches before she realized that she could not reach the next branch above her head.

Immediately, the fifteen-year-old looked down to make sure that she was safe as she allowed herself to hope that the bear would quickly give up and leave her alone, but a surprised squeak escaped her lungs as she realized that the bear was quickly scrambling up the tree after her. Her hands began to shake as the end flashed before her eyes, but suddenly her body reacted with a mind of its own. Her fingers groped for the binding rod on her back and she held it over her head in both hands, allowing the power of the strike to build up, before she flung it at the bear. Thick coils sprung from the binding rod and wrapped around the bear, twisting around its arms and legs and causing it to drop from the tree with a snarl of surprise.

Vanille, not accounting for the bear's weight, gasped as she was tugged out of the tree and tumbled to the ground. At the last moment, she was able to roll and avoid breaking her neck. Her fingers gripped the binding rod tightly as the bear thrashed, struggling to stand but unable to do so. Vanille immediately ran around the tree, looping the cords of the binding rod as tightly as she could in hopes that the bear would be held still. As the coils secured the bear to the tree, it became unable to move as it thrashed more violently, roars of fury escaping its mouth as it bared its sharp teeth.

The pink-haired girl felt the breath returning to her as she attempted to calm down. She knew that the bear would escape from its hold eventually, and there was no way that she could just leave her weapon in the woods. Every weapon was hand-crafted and presented to the new hunter as a ceremonial gift. She was expected to keep the binding rod in her home and bless it at the festivals in order to ensure the continued protection and safety of their village.

Reluctantly, Vanille removed the knife at her waist and moved toward the bear. It roared furiously, its beady eyes focusing on the blade, and Vanille jumped back a step, surveying the creature as she attempted to figure out what to do. The sharp cords from the binding rod were cutting into its skin, agitating the beast as they caused tremendous physical pain. Vanille convinced herself that ending its misery was the right thing to do, because with wounds such as that, other predators would be attracted to the bear and kill it anyway.

Taking in a deep breath and searching for bravery inside of herself, Vanille stepped forwards again. She ignored the bears strained noises of fury and moved around the back of it, hoping to cut the back of its neck where it might not be able to bite her. However, whenever she came close, the bear thrashed violently, almost succeeding twice in biting her arm off no matter what direction she approached from. With a nervous frown, Vanille backed away and bit her lip. There was only one way that she could think of to kill the bear, but if she was unsuccessful, she would have to run away with no weapons.

With another delicate step backwards, Vanille recalled Fang teaching her how to hit a bullseye with a knife. She aimed at the bears forehead, willing it not to move, and imagined Fang's hand on her waist, steadying her, as her other hand guided her throw. She had released the blade before she even realized that she was ready, and a gasp escaped her lips when her aim was true. The blade struck the creature right between the eyes and although it continued to twist and thrash for a few moments, its movements eventually ceased.

Suddenly rustling in the bushes cause Vanille to realize that she was completely defenseless without either of her weapons on her and she turned to race into the forest again.

"Wait!" Chief Torren cried, driving out of the bushes, an arrow strung through his bow and pointed at the bear. When he realized that it was dead, he smirked and motioned for the others to follow him out of the bushes. "Vanille, you did this on your own?"

Vanille nodded, still shaking from the panic.

"Congratulations," Chief Torren voiced, smiling proudly. "This is your first kill."

The pink-haired girl merely nodded, unable to form words.

"You should consider becoming a hunter," Chief Torren suggested as he surveyed the bear and moved forwards to retrieve her binding rod.

A slightly hysterical giggle escaped from Vanille's lips. "I-I don't think I'd like that much."

Kun Ecko crossed the clearing and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Are you all right, Vanille?"

She nodded, sighing with relief. "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to run. I just panicked."

"That panic probably saved your life," Chief Torren praised.

xxx

"_You_ said you would protect her," Fang lectured, her hands placed on her hips. "Then I find out she got chased into the woods by a wolf and then attacked by a bear. How is that protecting her?"

Chief Torren rolled his eyes, sighing in exasperation. "It's not my fault she disappeared into the woods after I killed the wolf, Fang. I was shouting after her but she didn't listen, and she's a fast runner."

"Yeah, and she had to kill the damn bear by herself. Some protector you are, _Chief_ Torren," Fang replied, crossing her arms as a faint smile twitched onto her lips. "Maybe I should be someone else's apprentice, huh? I thought you were a good tracker. How'd it take you so long to find her?"

Vanille sat on a bench nearby, blushing because everyone was watching. The amused looks of those passing by left her feeling rather embarrassed.

Chief Torren laughed lightly and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Fang, she killed a bear on her own. That's something to celebrate, so relax and go enjoy the celebration."

The slightest smirk rose to Fang's lips as she glanced at Vanille. "Yeah, I'm still trying to work out how that's even possible."

"Fang!" Vanille whined, standing and skipping to her side. "You're the one who said I was stronger than I think I am."

"Yeah, I said that to make you feel better," Fang replied teasingly, patting the top of her head and grinning. "It looks like you're even stronger than _I_ thought you were."

Vanille grinned proudly, pleased by the compliment.

"Either that or it was a really weak bear," Fang added with a chuckle.

Everyone still around them burst out laughing and Vanille crossed her arms, a pout covering her face. "Fang, that's not nice."

"I was just saying," Fang replied dismissively as she grabbed her hand and waved to Chief Torren before beginning to tug her away. "Come on. We're missing the party."

"It's your fault," Vanille informed her. "You were the one making a scene."

"No one told you to stand around and watch, now did they?" Fang murmured, grinning.

Vanille glanced around, noticing that Fang was not actually leading her to the party. "Where are we going?"

"Don't worry. We'll go before the party's over," Fang replied with a grin.

The older girl tugged her toward the orphanage and Vanille felt a nostalgic smile form on her lips. "We came here after your first hunt, too."

"Yeah, but I was way more injured." Fang looked her up and down. "How'd you fight a bear and get away with just some scrapes on your hands and legs?"

"I'm very talented," Vanille replied, twittering with laughter.

Fang merely grinned as the two of them entered the bedroom they shared. Vanille peeked at the other beds to make sure that no one had decided to skip the party before she crossed the room and joined Fang on their bed.

"This is so comfortable," Vanille murmured excitedly, lying on her back and squirming against the mattress. "I didn't like sleeping in the woods."

"No?" Fang lay on her side, propped up by the elbow so that she could look at her, and ran her fingers through her pink curls.

"Nope." Vanille shook her head and beamed up at her. "I wished I could sleep here."

Fang laughed lightly and kissed her cheek. "I'm proud of you."

Vanille bit her lip. "Really?"

"Yep," Fang smirked down at her. "I never expected your hunt to go so well. You killed a bear by yourself!"

"I know." Vanille's smile dimmed faintly because the memory was still frightening. "Chief Torren said they'll make a skirt out of the fur for me so I have proof or something."

Fang traced her fingers down the side of her face. "I'm glad you're safe."

Vanille peeked up at her curiously.

"I was worried about you all week. I couldn't sleep much," Fang murmured gently leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'm here now, so you don't have to worry anymore," Vanille murmured gently, wrapping her arms around her neck and drawing her into a deeper kiss.

The kisses shared between them were slow and tender before Fang pulled away and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her close in a rare display of vulnerability. Vanille nuzzled against her, holding her tightly.

"Now you know how I feel all the time," Vanille whispered close to her ear, their cheeks brushing together. "Every time you leave for a hunt I'm scared."

"Sorry about that." Fang smiled sympathetically and pecked her lips. "Being a hunter's all I'm good at."

"I know," Vanille teased, grinning devilishly as her fingers weaved through messy hair.

"Why you little... I'll have you know I'm good at a lot of things!" Fang smirked cruelly as she tickled her sides.

She squealed and attempted to escape, nearly diving off of the bed before racing across the room. A peal of giggles escaped her lips as Fang chased after her, cornering her against a wall and placing her hands on her hips. Vanille expected another onslaught, but instead Fang pressed herself against her, bringing their bodies together and leaning down to capture Vanille's lips in a passionate kiss.

Vanille moaned against her lips and her tongue, a flush rising to her cheeks as Fang's fingers traced the line of her abdomen. She shivered as those strong hands climbed higher in search of sweet skin not yet explored, her own fingers sliding down Fang's neck.

xxx

A while later, Fang had to leave to speak to Chief Torren, which left Vanille to her own devices. She did not want to sit in the orphanage by herself, so she decided to attend the party, which generally lasted all night. Whenever anyone asked where she had gone, Vanille repressed the blush that rose to her cheeks and pretended that she had been at the celebration for the entire night. She spent a few hours listening to her friends gossip about the hunt, discussing who had done well and who had not, before she spotted her friend Aria wandering through the crowd.

It had only been a few months since Aria had left the orphanage to marry, but Vanille had not really had time to speak to her since. She was eager to know whether or not her friend was enjoying her new life, so she immediately sough her out, appearing at her side with a grin on her face.

"Hi Aria!" Vanille chirped excitedly.

"Vanille!" Aria smiled happily and embraced her. "How are you? I heard you killed a bear all by yourself. I'm so impressed!"

Giggling, the younger girl exclaimed, "Thanks. I'm okay. How're you?"

"Oh, everything is _so_ wonderful," Aria replied, her features illuminated. "I just love my husband so much, and life outside of the orphanage is like a dream. We have so much privacy and everything we own is ours! Oh, Vanille, you have to get married and move out of the orphanage as quickly as possible so you can know what it's like."

Vanille bit her lip, seeking to change the subject. "Do you like making money?"

Aria giggled, patting her shoulder as though she were naïve. "Of course, I do. We have a garden, so I sell fruits while my husband is working for the carpenter. Business is flourishing right now, so we can afford everything we want."

The younger girl's eyes gleamed excitedly. "I'm so happy for you."

"I can't wait to have kids," Aria gushed, biting her lip to hide the grin blossoming on her features. "Oh, Vanille, being a wife is so wonderful. I finally feel like I can do whatever I want. You'd like being married. You never have to sleep alone and there are no matrons to boss you around."

Vanille shifted uncomfortably but maintained her grin. "It sounds wonderful, and kids are so cute. It must be so exciting to plan the rest of your life."

Aria patted her shoulder again. "Don't worry. You'll find someone you like soon and then the two of you will get married and have kids, too."

"I guess." Vanille shifted on her heels. "So, can I visit your house?"

Aria eyed her with a faint frown. "Are you still turning down all the boys, Vanille? You have to stop being so shy or you'll never find anyone."

Vanille's eyes widened as she wondered why her friend had not allowed her to change the topic. "Well, I-I guess I _am_ just really shy. Maybe I'll become a matron or something..."

"Don't say that!" Aria gasped. "You'll find someone, I swear. You should probably stop spending so much time with Fang though."

"What?" Vanille lifted her head nervously, her eyes searching her friend's gaze.

"Well, you know, people are always whispering about you two," Aria replied awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" Vanille's eyes widened.

"You can't really blame them when the two of you are always disappearing together," Aria replied with a sympathetic sigh as if she was too naïve to understand. "Everyone thinks the two of you are..._you know_. I tell everyone I can that I used to live with you guys and it's not like that between you, but no one believes me since you guys are always hugging and stuff."

"We've always been like that," Vanille insisted, a part of her feeling ashamed for wanting to hide and a part of her twisting with fear. There were too many what ifs. She could not know that they would be safe.

"Yeah, but you two are grown up now." Aria raised her brow, noticing that Vanille seemed very upset. "I'm just saying that if you wanna have a good marriage, you can't keep turning down the boys or everyone will think you and Fang are really like that. Sometimes I even believe the rumors."

"Y-You do?" Vanille squeaked.

"No, of course not, Vanille." Aria placed her hands on her hips. "I mean, sometimes I wonder, but I know you're a good girl." She looked away. "It's Fang I worry about. Vanille. Sometimes I think she really might feel that way about you. She's never dated a guy, and I found out that she kissed a girl a few years ago. It was a bet or a prank or something, but still..."

Vanille tried to think of something to say.

"The most conclusive proof is that she still lives in the orphanage if you ask me," Aria grumbled, crossing her arms. "With the way everyone talks about you two, you'd think the matrons would have the sense to move her in a room by herself."

"What do you mean?" Vanille narrowed her eyes. "Fang cant leave yet. She's not a full hunter. She wouldn't have the money to buy anything."

"Did she tell you that?" Aria demanded, looking exasperated. "Vanille, that's a lie. Fang could've asked for a house as soon as she realized she was going to be a hunter. They don't make any money anyways. Everyone just gives them whatever they need out of respect."

"Really?" Vanille blinked, momentarily forgetting her fears as a warm feeling released the tension.

Aria's plan was backfiring, because the thought that Fang had delayed leaving the orphanage to stay with her filled her stomach with butterflies. She wanted to giggle happily, but she guarded her expression because she could tell that Aria would not take the news of their relationship well and did not want the girl to confirm everyone else's suspicion when she had no idea what it would mean for the two of them.

"Anyway, that's why I think you should be careful around her." Aria glowered at the ground as she clenched her fist. "The idea that she would take advantage of you like that, making you think she can't leave yet, that's the most disgusting part of all of this!"

"Disgusting?" Vanille gasped, feeling hurt.

"Yeah, Fang's disgusting." Aria crossed her arms. "I can't believe any girl agreed to kiss her. They're both so gross!"

Vanille began to feel queasy and excused herself from the conversation as quickly as possible. As she stumbled away from Aria, she realized that this was the first friend she was going to lose. Perhaps she would be the first of many disapproving faces from which Vanille would need to turn away. She was not willing to give up what she had with Fang for anyone. Marriage meant nothing to her, because she had cared for Fang her entire life and she could not imagine wanting to be with anyone else. It had not been a lie when she told Fang that she wished they could lie in the flowers cuddling together forever. Settling for a marriage with someone else and maintaining secret relations with Fang was out of the question, both because it was unethical and because it would kill her, so she knew that she would never marry. It would not be long before Aria—before _everyone_ knew the truth.

What would happen to them?

Lost in worried thoughts, Vanille wandered away from the party. Tears welled in her eyes as her feet carried her against her will into the woods. She found a fallen log and began to cry, hugging herself and allowing her tears to fall freely as she wondered if there was something wrong with her. Was she really disgusting or was Aria the one who was wrong? It was not her fault that she was different. Her feelings for Fang were the truest thing she had ever felt.

"Vanille, are you al right?"

Vanille gasped, startled, and wiped the tears furiously from her eyes. "I'm okay, Head Matron Solstice. Sorry I left the party like that. I just...I..."

Head Matron Solstice seated herself beside the younger girl, the lines in her face illuminated by the moon as a warm smile covered her face. "There's no reason to keep anything from me, Vanille. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"I-I can't tell you." Vanille looked away. "I'm fine anyway."

"Now, now, don't lie." Head Matron Solstice patted her shoulder. "Does this have something to do with Fang?"

Vanille felt the tears slipping down her face and refused to look at the elderly woman who had taken care of her for so many years.

"You know," Head Matron Solstice murmured gently, placing her hand on her back as a comfort. "I knew from the start the two of you would end up together."

Vanille gasped, meeting eyes with her as her cheeks flushed.

"Oh, we all knew, dear." Head Matron Solstice laughed lightly. "We all know."

"I-I didn't realize..." Vanille squeaked, fear overtaking her as she turned away.

"Oh, come now, it isn't as though you ever hid your affection for each other, especially when you were younger." Head Matron Solstice smiled faintly. "In fact, I knew for sure that something had changed between the two of you after your birthday because you started trying to look less affectionate in front of others. It was then that I realized you'd finally found the strength to admit your feelings to each other."

"Did you tell anyone else?" Vanille gasped fearfully.

"I didn't have to, dear." Head Matron Solstice rolled her eyes. "Would you believe that some of the younger matrons took bets on when you'd finally get together? The nerve of those girls, but they really just get bored so easily..."

"Head Matron what's gonna happen to us?" Tears filled her eyes. "Will they throw us out of the village? Are we gonna be hurt?"

"Of course not. What would make you think so?" Head Matron Solstice furrowed her brows, her eyes narrowing. "Vanille, has someone said something cruel to you?"

"Well, Aria—"

"Ah, Aria. Now that does not surprise me." Head Matron Solstice interrupted, her brow furrowing. "Aria has an interesting situation, Vanille, because she is not an orphan. She lived in the orphanage because her mother has been sick for many years and could not take care of her without her father, who died in an accident when she was young."

"I don't understand," Vanille murmured.

"You will, child," Solstice interrupted as she lowered her eyes. "I remember when her mother was a young girl. She had a very close companion, a girl. I imagine that they were as close as you and Fang. When her parents discovered what was going on, they would not allow the two of them to be together. Aria's mother was convinced by her own parents that she was sick and what she had done was wrong, and then she was forced to marry a man that she did not love. Rather than coming to hate her parents, Aria's mother began to hate herself. I imagine that she transferred that ideology to her daughter to keep her from following the same path."

"Does that mean that everyone doesn't agree with Aria?"

"Of course not, Vanille. Don't you think that someone would have said something by now if that were the case?" Head Matron Solstice rapped her head gently. "I thought I taught you girls to use your heads to solve problems."

Vanille flushed faintly.

"Besides, you and Fang are not the first two girls in the village to care for each other. I'll admit that it's a bit rare, which is the reason that it always becomes such a subject of interest to everyone..." The head matron smiled faintly. "Really, though, it's silly for the two of you to keep hiding it so. Everyone in the village either knows or wonders."

Vanille furrowed her brows. "Did you say that we're not the first?"

"Yes, I did say that." The head matron laughed lightly. "Talon Enabel and Donno Anna get along quite well."

The pink-haired girl gasped. "The two of them are...together? I never knew!"

"It's difficult to miss when you're my age." The head matron smiled knowingly. "It's unusual for two unmarried woman to live together for so long. Everyone in the village knows about the two of them, but I have only ever met a few who let someone else's personal business bother them."

Vanille bit her lip. "Is that really true?"

"Vanille, you and Fang have nothing to fear." Head Matron Solstice patted the top of her head. "For all the talk of having a good husband to care for you, as long as the two of you both have careers, you will be able to support yourselves. And honestly, with Fang as a hunter, everything that she needs would be provided to her anyway."

A warm smile began to blossom on her lips. "Thank you, Head Matron. I-I feel a lot better now."

"That's what I'm here for, my child." The head matron grinned, squeezing her shoulder. "Now, return to the party with me. We must celebrate your first kill."

"I hope it's my last kill, too," Vanille giggled.

"I imagine it will be." The head matron laughed lightly as she stood. "Come along then. I think Torren will keep Fang occupied for quite some time, so you have nowhere to sneak off to."

Vanille blushed. "R-Right..."

She wiped the last of the tears from her eyes as she skipped behind the head matron, a bright smile growing on her features. The moment that she saw Fang, she was going to throw her arms around her, and for once she would not be worried what everyone around them might think.

The idea that it might be completely fine for the two of them to live with together and be open about their relationship left a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. The future was no longer something to fear.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! I hope you like it. Thanks to everyone who wished me good luck on my test! I think it went well. Just a warning, I'm going back to school next Saturday so posting from that point forwards could be a little slow but I will try my best to keep posting regularly. Enjoy! :)

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

The darkness of a cloudy night was expelled by the flickering orange-red glow of five different fires arranged in a circle at the center of the village. Children wearing wooden masks that were meant to frighten away the evil spirits of lore and the most dangerous forest creatures waved sticks that served as play spears and chased each other excitedly around the pits of flame. A group of mothers were scolding a muddy pack of children that had just appeared from the river because it was too dangerous to sneak into the shadows of the forest on their own. Wooden tables were covered in fresh roasted meat, large slices of fish drizzled with a salty marinade, both sweet and sour breads, and delicious pastries dripping with creamy icing. The enticing smells of the feast wafted for miles into the forest, attracting all manner of critters, but no one paid any mind.

At a hunter's celebration, one had no need to fear the animals.

Every year, the hunters celebrated the evolution of their apprentices into full-fledged hunters with a series of events. First, offerings were brought to Anima's temple to ensure safety during the celebration that followed and the priests called upon the deity/fal'Cie to protect their hunters so that they might bring in enough food to sustain the entire village. Then, the new hunters were asked to choose or design a tattoo that would mark them to all other villages as hunters. Generally the new hunters did not design their own tattoos, because that required creating a charcoal painting that was well-drawn enough for the ink man to interpret as he used a bone or shell to hand poke the pigment into the skin. The tattooing went on for a week because it took an extremely long time and was excruciatingly painful. However, all the hunters seemed extremely proud and honored to have the tattoos once it was finished. When the tattoo had been acquired, each of the newly full-fledged hunters remained alone in the forest for an entire week. They were sent in different directions out of the village so that they would not run into each other, and the meat and fish that they returned with was used to create giant feast celebrating the blessing of more hunters to gather the necessary food for the village.

In the midst of the celebration that year, which was held on the night of a spooky full moon winking in and out of the clouds, Vanille sat on a smooth wooden bench, her elbows braced against the red-painted table. The firelight all around them illuminated the small grin on her face as she listened to Fang bragging to some of the new apprentice hunters.

"So, then I had to fight two bears all at once, but that was nothing compared to the pack of behemoths I encountered on the way back. I already had so much meat on me, so you can imagine how many forest critters were following," Fang explained with a grin.

The group of mostly fifteen-year-old boys who had just been named the new apprentices of the experienced hunters stared in amazement, equally as impressed by the fact that she was such a successful hunter as the fact that she was a girl.

"Were you scared in the woods by yourself?" The speaker was a particularly nervous boy.

Fang shook her head back and forth, smirking as she shrugged. "I've been in the woods alone loads of times during training exercises, so hunting all on my own was breeze, but you gotta be prepared for anything out there. That's why you've gotta learn to be quieter than silence so even the trees can't hear ya."

Vanille covered her hand with her fingers to hide her giggles. "Fang, trees can't hear."

"Says who?" Fang grinned widely at her before turning back to the boys with a more serious look. "Now, what you really wanna do is get Lady Luck on your side. That means you can never do anything cruel like torturing animals or using your hunting tools against innocent people. Hunting is about getting food for our fellow villagers, plain and simple. We don't wanna waste any resources, especially with the way the damn Cocoon fal'Cie are always stealing everything from us."

The younger boys listened for a while as Fang lectured them on important forest survival skills, some of their faces illuminated with interest as they leaned forwards in their seats and some of their eyes drifting away as they wondered why they were not dancing with the pretty girls by the fire. Eventually, they thanked Fang for her words of wisdom and raced each other to the center of all the fires where sweaty bodies danced together to the intense beating of several large drums. The adults seemed to spiral around the fires, chatting lazily in the starlight that flickered in and out from behind the clouds.

"I hope it doesn't storm," Fang commented idly, her eyes tracing lines in the sky.

Vanille scooted closer to her under the guise that it was chilly and pressed her cheek against Fang's warm shoulder.

Fang, heedless of the others all around them, wrapped her arms around Vanille's shoulders and pulled the girl close to her. As she rested her chin against the top of her head, she teased, "Maybe if you'd wear a little more clothing, you wouldn't be so cold all the time."

Vanille giggled, choosing not to argue with her because she was correct, and glanced down at Fang's arms around her, her gaze washing over the dark tattoo of Fang's own design. "Now that you're officially a hunter, what're you gonna do? Everyone thinks you're an adult."

"I _am _an adult, and so are you," Fang replied with a chuckle as she held her closer. "My life's not gonna change very much for the moment. I might take on an apprentice eventually, but for now I'm not experienced enough for that."

Nodding, Vanille closed her eyes and rested back against Fang. Even though she felt hyper-aware of the way that some people glanced curiously at the two of them, she remembered Head Matron Solstice's kind words and did not let it bother her.

"Tonight all the hunters are giving speeches to their former apprentices," Fang murmured in her ear, a grin spreading across her features. "That means Chief Torren'll finally have to admit that I'm not a screw up."

"He's never called you that," Vanille gasped, smiling warmly as she placed her hands on top of Fang's. "He thinks you're really good. I bet you'll like hearing Chief Torren Praise you after all these years."

"It'll sound unnatural," Fang disagreed, a pleasant grin still on her face. "He only ever praises me when I'm in danger."

"Are you in danger a lot?" Vanille glanced over her shoulder to pout up at her.

A light chuckle escaped Fang's lips. "Of course not. I'm way too strong for that."

"Fang..." Vanille gave her puppy eyes.

"I dunno why you want the honest answer so bad. Won't it just make you worry more?" Fang raised her brow, her eyes twinkling. "Besides, it's not like I'm in mortal peril every day that we hunt. A lot of us go out together, and we never separate. I don't do anything stupid like I did when I was younger."

Vanille smiled timidly, a little relieved, and leaned back against her. She felt warm wrapped in Fang's embrace, and the fact that the two of them were sitting that way right in front of everyone pleased her mostly because no one had said anything or looked at them coldly. In spite of Head Matron Solstice's kind words, Vanille and Fang had not explicitly told anyone of their relationship. Konnor was the only one who knew for sure, even though Evi and several others who were friends with the two girls teased them and made it clear that they suspected the truth. So, even though Vanille had hoped that Head Matron was correct, she had not known for sure that everyone would be fine with their relationship. Even though they still had not confirmed, the way that everyone seemed to chuckle as they passed them cuddling together left her feeling relieved.

As a cool breeze moved through the feast, bringing with it the soft whispered lullabies of the crickets, a bright grin tickled Vanille's lips and she glanced up at Fang. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Maybe a quick one." Fang eyed her with a teasing look. "I thought you were cold. We'd be moving away from the fires if we went for a walk."

Vanille untangled herself from Fang's embrace and stood, stepping away from the bench with a playful look. Biting her lip, she teased, "Can't you keep me warm, Fang?"

Fang smirked faintly at that thought and promptly stood from the bench. "Sure can."

The two of them wandered idly from the merriment, pushing between the trees and brush as they found a familiar forest path. Vanille clasped her hands behind her back, walking with a skip in her step and a pleasant smile on her face as her eyes followed the stars emerging from behind the darkened clouds.

Fang watched Vanille with a grateful smile, for every time that she returned from a hunt and Vanille was the same adorable, skipping girl in front of her with her shy smiles and playful banter was a dream come true. Even though she knew that the village was relatively safe, there was always the nagging fear that she would return to find that there had been a fire in the orphanage or barbarians had attacked while the hunters were away. Thus, there were no moments that pleased her more than when she returned to the orphanage to find Vanille tucked safely into their bed or when the two of them wandered into the woods together to share adventures only made different from their childhood by the blossoming romance between them.

She peeked over her shoulder to make sure that no one was spying on them before wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist and pulling the smaller girl against her. Kissing her temple, she murmured, "I missed you, you know."

"I always miss you, Fang, every single day that you're gone," Vanille replied promptly, grinning up at her.

The way that her eyes sparkled was telling, and the two of them leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Why'd you have to be a hunter?" Vanille inquired with a playful smile as they broke apart. "I could've taught you to make beads, and then we could've started a business together. We'd never have to be apart."

Fang laughed as she ran her fingers through Vanille's hair, pleased by the other girl leaning into her touch. "You could've been a hunter, you know. Then we'd be together all the time, always having interesting adventures and considered heroes by the other villagers."

"You barely let me go on my first hunt," Vanille pointed out with a giggle as she wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and buried herself in her embrace. "Besides, I don't like hunting. I don't wanna kill anything unless there's no other choice. Making beads is fun, and there's no reason to run away from anything in my profession."

Fang merely smiled at her words as she steered Vanille between several twisting trees to where a small patch of flowers and several bushes filled with red berries lay. Kissing Vanille's temple again, she exclaimed, "That's enough walking for now."

"Oh, those flowers are so gorgeous," Vanille chirped loudly, squirming out of Fang's grasp as she knelt amongst the lilies and parted the tall stalks of grass attempting to protect them. The younger girl immediately plucked one of the white flowers out of the ground and tucked the stem behind her ear.

Plopping down beside the younger girl, Fang teased with a smirk, "What's that about not killing anything unless it's necessary?"

Vanille stuck her tongue out. "I haven't picked flowers in so long. Maybe tomorrow I'll get some and make a wreath."

"Sounds like a great idea," Fang replied gently as she leaned back into the patch of tall grass and looked upwards to watched the moonlight chase the clouds away. "Looks like we won't get any rain after all."

"That's good," Vanille murmured as she crawled next to her and rested at her side. She watched her for a moment, biting her lip shyly. "So, since there's no one else around..."

"Yeah?" Fang grinned teasingly as she attempted to feign innocence.

Vanille looked away, a faint grin lighting her lips. "Well, it's just that I haven't see in you in a while. You only got back this afternoon..."

"That's true," Fang nodded, reaching out to tussle her hair and still feigning ignorance to her request as she teased, "I bet you missed me a lot, _little Vanille_."

"Fang!" Vanille gasped, looking betrayed. "You can't call me little anymore."

"I was just kidding," Fang laughed gently and turned onto her side to face her, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek. "Don't get all sensitive."

"No. You called me little. That's not nice," Vanille replied stubbornly, crossing her arms as she turned onto her back and looked at the sky. "Now I can't talk to you for the rest of the night."

"No?" Fang laughed and kissed her cheek again.

The younger girl shook her head stubbornly, refusing to look at her.

The dark-haired Gran Pulsian grinned faintly before grazing her lips along Vanille's jawline, smirking into strategically placed kisses along her neck as the younger girl's look of irritation melted into shy anticipation. Fang's lips hovered over her artery before placing gentle kisses against her collar bone. Vanille closed her eyes, sighing in reluctant bliss because she wanted to pretend to be upset but simply could not help but enjoy the tingling sensation that moved all throughout her body.

"Still not talking to me?" Fang murmured against the sweet skin of her shoulder.

"You called me little," Vanille replied, her voice accusing as she crossed her arms again.

Fang grinned at that, dragging her lips to her jawline again before resting near her ear as one hand played along the soft, warm skin at her abdomen. "Well, there's really no need for talking anyway."

"Fang!" Vanille protested, blushing brightly as her resolve broke. "We're not that far from the others. What if someone hears us?"

"Oh, you're talking to me again?" Fang inquired with a teasing look as she kissed her cheek again. "That didn't take long."

Vanille giggled, wrapping her arms around Fang's neck and tugging the older girl closer. Their lips met gently at first, a slow rhythm drumming between them, until the heat began to grow as Fang rested on top of her, her elbows braced against the sweet grass behind them. Vanille was ever aware of the fact that she could still hear the beating drums and the crackle of flames. The slightest creeping fear that someone might come looking for them remained, but she succumbed quickly to the fiery kisses the other girl placed on her soft lips and skin and the impassioned caress that followed. Her own hands were not exactly innocent in the exchange, and she enjoyed the way that she could draw the same gentle noises from Fang that were released from her own lips.

Some time later, a twig snapped possibly ten or fifteen feet away, startling the two of them and causing Vanille to blush darkly at the prospect of being caught in such an act.

Fang, more inconvenienced than embarrassed, murmured reassuringly against her shoulder. "Don't worry. I bet it's just a wolf."

"Fang, a wolf can eat us!" Vanille protested urgently, glancing over her shoulder as her hands moved to fix her shirt.

"Fang? Vanille?" It was Konnor's voice that drifted through the trees. "Are you two out here somewhere?"

"Oh, it's just him." Fang placed a lingering kiss on Vanille's neck, "D'you think he'll just go away?"

Vanille bit her lip to stifle a giggle as she shook her head. "No, Fang. If he's looking for us and can't find us, they'll send out a search party or something."

"Is anyone out there?" Konnor's voice weaved through the trees another time, and they could hear his cautious footsteps.

"He's coming closer," Vanille exclaimed nervously, pressing her hands against Fang's shoulders so that the older girl would ease off of her. "We've gotta get up before he finds us. Are there any twigs in my hair?"

"Why do we gotta get up? If he sees us, he'll just be embarrassed and run back into the trees and then we can continue for as long as we want," Fang replied with a playful look, her voice a low whisper as she propped herself up at the elbows to look into Vanille's eyes. "I dunno know about you, but I was having a lot of fun."

"Me, too, but Fang..." Vanille whined, barely stifling another giggle.

"Oh, fine, but you're no fun," Fang replied with a grin, leaning forwards to capture her lips one last time before she lifted herself off of the ground and quickly straightened out her sari. She put out her hand to help Vanille up and pulled the girl into her arms, kissing her again.

Vanille giggled as she broke away from Fang's lips. "What're you doing? We've gotta go get Konnor before he gets too suspicious."

"I'm sure he was suspicious from the start," Fang replied as she momentarily hugged Vanille close. "Besides, I've missed you. I wanna just hold you for a second."

The younger girl could not resist grinning at that as she nuzzled into Fang's embrace.

"Is anyone out here?" Konnor called again, much closer that time. "Seriously, Fang, if this is a prank, it's not funny."

"We better go before Konnor gets his undergarments all in a twist," Fang murmured humorously into Vanille's ear.

Vanille nodded, dislodging herself from Fang, and the two of them moved quickly through the trees. Konnor took one look at the two of them and whistled, a smirk growing on his face.

"What took you two so long?"

"I didn't hear you at first," Fang replied with a nonchalant shrug, feigning innocence again. "We thought it was a wolf."

"So, why didn't you run away?" Konnor sent her a knowing grin.

"Run away from a little ol' wolfie?" Fang's eyes widened incredulously. "You're talking to a hunter, Konnor. I'm not scared of anything. Now, why'd you come looking for us? Vanille just wanted to pick some flowers."

With a nod, Vanille gestured to the lily in her hair as evidence, her cheeks flushing.

"Well, Chief Torren just announced that it was time to make the speeches. He was gonna make yours first 'cause you're the most advanced and he's really proud of you, but then no one could find you and one of the younger boys was really pleased to tell everyone that he saw the two of you wandering into the woods a while earlier." Konnor snickered teasingly. "Good luck explaining to everyone how Vanille just wanted to pick some flowers, 'cause they all decided to wait while I came looking for you two."

"Oops. I forgot all about the speeches," Fang replied with a faint smirk, touching Vanille's shoulder. "I guess I got a little carried away, huh?"

Vanille's face lit up and she cried, "I can't go back there. Everyone'll be staring."

"Don't worry, Vanille," Fang replied as she wrapped her arm around her shoulders and tugged her gently back toward the feast. "We were just innocently picking flowers."

Konnor snorted, rolling his eyes. "Fang, if you think anyone's gonna believe that—"

"Quiet you," Fang warned him with slightly narrowed eyes as she tugged a twig out of Vanille's hair. "Don't you worry about what anyone else thinks, Vanille. No one in this village can mind their own business, but it's not a big deal. Besides, Konnor here sneaks away with the blacksmith's daughter all the time and no one hardly bats an eyelash."

It was Konnor's turn to flush faintly, but he hid it but turning his back to the two of them. A faint smile covered his face as he turned toward the site of the feast, because he mostly thought that Fang and Vanille were perfect for each other and he was glad that the two of them had faced no adversity from others in the village.

When the three of them finally returned to the celebration, Vanille felt herself blushing under everyone's curious gazes and kept her eyes low to the ground as Fang's arm fell away from her. It seemed that no one had any illusions about what they might have been doing, which left Vanille feeling a bit embarrassed.

Fang did not seem concerned with the others' thoughts, exclaiming humorously, "Everyone can settle down now. I'm back, so the party can start again."

Chief Torren chuckled and rolled his eyes, smiling semi-fondly at her. "I guess we can't expect Fang to be anyone but herself after all these years."

Head Matron Solstice, who was lingering nearby, twittered with laughter.

"Come stand up here where everyone can see you, Fang." Chief Torren motioned for the dark-haired girl to stand beside him before turning to the others. "Now, as I explained before, we're all going to give speeches about our former apprentices. I'll start with Yun Fang, who has come a long way since she was a little one."

Vanille noticed Konnor drifting away to stand with his long-time girlfriend Milla, the blacksmith's daughter, and felt a little flustered standing by herself when so many people kept glancing at her. She was only so embarrassed because she knew that most people saw her as very innocent and she did not want to give them any reason to believe that that was not the case.

Head Matron Solstice, noticing that Vanille looked rather uncomfortable, appeared at the younger girl's side and wrapped one arm gently around her shoulder. She sent a stern look at those who would not stop staring and they turned quickly away.

"Don't worry, Vanille," the head matron mumbled gently. "No one likes to mind their own business, but it's not so embarrassing for people to know the two of you snuck away. That kind of behavior is expected of young lovers like yourselves."

Vanille blushed darkly. "I—there were flowers—we were just—"

The elderly woman twittered with laughter and patted her shoulder. "There's no reason to be embarrassed, Vanille. I was young once, and I'm not ashamed to say that there were moments when I snuck away at times that were probably a little bit inappropriate. When you're young, passion is what makes you feel the most alive."

"Did you really sneak away with people?" Vanille gasped, her eyes wide.

Head Matron Solstice laughed lightly. "Oh, Vanille, did you think I was alone my entire life? I had a husband once before I became a matron, but he died in an accident before we could have any children of our own. I missed him terribly and didn't want to be with anyone else, so I decided to become a matron and dedicate myself to all the children who needed someone to love them."

Vanille's eyes filled with tears. "Head Matron, I never knew."

"You never needed to know, dear. It happened such a long time ago." The head matron patted the top of her head. "Anyway, don't be embarrassed, and don't worry about the way that the others look at you. They can't mind their own business because what's going on between you and Fang is so rare that everyone's abuzz about it."

"I-I'll try not to feel embarrassed..." Vanille replied awkwardly, her face still flushed.

She distracted herself by listening to Chief Torren telling the villagers about all the pranks that Fang had played on him and others and how she had grown and matured into one of the best hunters that he had ever seen. He finished his speech by lifting his glass in toast and exclaiming, "To Fang. In spite of all her antics as a girl, I knew that something incredible would become of her. She was always confident, loyal and dedicated, some of the best traits a person can have, so it's no surprise to me that she's a hunter, and I'm proud to have had her as my apprentice."

Everyone raised their glasses and cheered, and Fang, looking gleeful, took a bow and strutted away from Chief Torren's side. The older hunter looked amused rather than upset and everyone began to laugh.

As the rest of the speeches began, Fang wrapped her arm around Vanille's waist and pulled the girl close to her without uttering a single word. Vanille cooed in surprise and wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and buried her face in her shoulder, nuzzling against her.

Head Matron Solstice smiled at Fang before giving the two of them some privacy and moving to stand with Chief Torren, who was like a son to her.

"I'm so proud of you, Fang," Vanille murmured into her ear as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss her cheek.

"Me, too," Fang replied with a roguish grin, hugging her close.

Vanille merely giggled at that and snuggled against her.

xxx

"Vanille, wake up." The whisper against her ear was sweet but urgent as lips fluttered against her cheek.

"Hm?"

Vanille shifted groggily, her eyes blinking open to find the hazy image of Fang hovering over her in their dark bedroom. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned before glancing around to see that the other girls were all still asleep in their beds, their chest rising and falling with peaceful breaths.

"Fang, what's going on?" Vanille inquired, her voice raspy from sleep. "It's not even morning."

"Sure it is," Fang replied teasingly, running her fingers down the side of her face and smiling gleefully. "It's time to get up, Vanille. We're going on a trip today, remember?"

"What?" Vanille squinted her eyes at her as she tried to decide whether or not she was joking and then finally turned onto her side so that her back was to Fang and burrowed into one of their soft pillows. "I'm too sleepy, Fang. Let's go on a trip later."

Fang laughed lightly, wrapping her arms around Vanille from behind and pulling the younger girl close to her. As she buried her face in her hair, she murmured gently, "You don't remember anything in the mornings, do you? We have to leave now or we'll be spending the night in the woods."

"What're you talking about?" Vanille whined, turning back to face her, her eyes still drooping with exhaustion as she yawned. "Why're we going in the woods at all? I don't wanna go on a trip. I just wanna sleep."

A light chuckle escaped Fang's lips as she twirled her fingers through her wavy hair. "You promised you'd go with me, and after all the time I had to go apple-picking with you, I think you better keep your promise."

Vanille pouted drowsily. "But Fang, where're we going? I don't remember promising anything, and we shouldn't have stayed up so late if you knew we had to go somewhere."

Fang tucked her hair behind her ears, grinning. "Remember when I told you that Chief Torren asked me to deliver a package to a medicine woman living not far from the village and pick up some treatments she offered us in exchange? It's a really important mission for the village, but you didn't want me to go 'cause you have today off and you wanted to spend the day with me. I said I've gotta go, so you said..."

"Oh." Vanille's face scrunched up as she struggled to remember. With a sigh, she conceded, "I do wanna go with you...but Fang, I didn't know we'd have to leave so early! Can't we wait until the sun rises?"

"Nope." Fang leaned forwards and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's a full day's trip, Vanille. Don't you remember? If we wanna be back by nightfall, we've gotta leave before the sun even rises. Otherwise I'll be carrying you back in the middle of the night so you can get to the jeweler's on time tomorrow."

"That sounds like a great idea," Vanille murmured as she crawled into Fang's arms, hugging her around the neck and snuggling into her shoulder. Yawning, she mumbled, "You can just carry me back later."

Fang kissed her temple gently. "I'll go alone if you want. I don't mind."

Vanille shook her head, asserting, "I promised, so I'm going. I'm gonna be sleepy though."

"You can lean against me until you wake up a bit," Fang murmured gently. "Now come on and get dressed. I convinced Matron Tania to wake up early so she could make us some breakfast. I bet she'll be angry if we're late after she went to all the trouble."

Vanille nodded understandingly, but rather than getting up, she simply snuggled back into the covers. "Just lemme sleep one more minute."

Fang laughed gently and wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist before tugging her gently off of the bed. "Come on. You don't wanna sleep in the forest tonight, do you?"

"Isn't it dangerous to go in the forest anyway?" Vanille inquired drowsily as she walked slowly toward the closer where the clothes were kept.

"It's not dangerous for a full-fledged hunter and a girl who can kill a bear on her own and just get a few scratches," Fang replied humorously as she pulled her nightshirt over her head. "Don't you worry. We'll be fine during the day and there's not a lot of animals out, especially this early."

"What about when we're coming back with all the medicine?" Vanille asked distractedly, her eyes tracing Fang's bear back as the older girl tugged an undergarment over her head.

"We'll be very careful," Fang assured her, smirking over her shoulder at the way that Vanille was staring at her.

The younger girl blushed and hastily dressed.

When she was finished tugging her clothes on, Vanille reached for her biding rod and clipped it to the belt at her waist right over the bearskin that covered her posterior. She watched as Fang picked up her spear, and when she noticed that the other girl was tucking some other weapons into her belt, she remembered to tie her dagger and a pouch of healing berries to her own belt. While the dark-haired girl finished getting ready, Vanille combed out her hair and tied it into curly pigtails as usual.

As she waited for Fang, she mused that she was not really nervous about going into the woods, but she did feel that if anything challenged them while she was so tired, she might be useless to Fang. If only they could wait a few hours.

The two of them proceeded to the dining hall where Matron Tania was waiting with warm bread and several freshly picked fruits. She chatted sleepily with them for a few moments, asking Fang about their journey and wishing them well. Then, after they finished their breakfast, they waved goodbye to Matron Tania, who was kindly cleaning up their plates, and made their way out of the orphanage.

As the trip began, Vanille felt that she was definitely holding Fang back. She was still half asleep and found herself dragging her feet sluggishly on the ground as she clung to Fang's arm for the support to remain upright. Even though she didn't think it was her fault that she felt so exhausted, she wondered if Fang would decide that she was just a hindrance and send her back to the village. She found herself only vaguely aware of the chirping insects and birds awakening all around them as the sun began to spread its brilliant arms over the horizon.

The first hour of the journey was absolutely uneventful, which allowed Vanille to proceed in a sort of dazed trance, Fang wrapped her arm around her waist and looking amused by her predicament.

As the younger girl finally began to wake up, she ceased leaning against Fang's arm quite so heavily and breathed in the sweet smell of the forest. Summer would soon begin to wane, giving way to her second favorite season of the year, but for the first time she thought that it might be sad to see the green seasons go. Winter was always cold, and every year the threat of harsher conditions was more frightening. What was worse, the Cocoon fal'Cie came ever closer to Oerba for more resources than they could possibly need. How many people could they even have in that floating orb of vipers in the sky? Vanille had even heard a terrifying rumor that they had swallowed up an entire village once, but she had never dared to ask anyone if it was true because she was afraid that Fang would hear about it and go after the fal'Cie right then and there.

Vanille did not want to lose Fang at all, but certainly not that way.

"Are you waking up now?" Fang nudged her shoulder playfully, oblivious to the depths of her thoughts.

The younger girl nodded pleasantly, stretching her arms as a grin illuminated her features. "How far away is this medicine woman's home?"

"It's about half a day from the village," Fang explained, her eyes scanning the forest around them for any sort of threat. "If we make good time, we'll be back to Oerba by nightfall, and if we don't, we'll be sleeping in the woods, which I didn't think you'd like very much."

Vanille clasped her hands behind her back, shrugging and looking away shyly. "You know, Fang, if we had to sleep in the woods, it wouldn't be so terrible."

Fang raised her brows. "But that's what you hated the most about your first hunt."

"This time you'll be there," Vanille argued, flushing faintly as she grinned at her. "We'd be completely alone, not close to the village at all..."

Fang grinned teasingly. "You just wanna be alone without all the other girls around?"

Vanille nodded, hugging her arm as they walked and resting her cheek against her shoulder. "Wouldn't it be nice for once? They're always there. I wish we lived alone."

Fang tugged her arm out of Vanille's grasp so that she could wrap the other girl in her embrace. As her fingers traced gentle circles along Vanille's waist, she promised, "It'll be just us someday, Vanille, and that's a promise."

The younger girl beamed happily as she considered the dream of actually living with Fang, but she admitted, "Sometimes I think I'll miss the orphanage when I'm older. I do wish we could have our own room or something though. It's just...everyone at the orphanage has been our only family for so long, Fang. I still miss my parents sometimes, but they made it so much easier there. What happens when we're too old to live with the matrons and the other girls anymore? You'll have to leave sooner than me..."

"Vanille, we can still visit," Fang insisted with a light chuckle. "Remember all the volunteers at all the orphanage festivals? Where d'you think they came from, huh? That'll be us someday giving back to the people who gave us a second chance after...everything happened."

"I never thought of that," Vanille chirped excitedly. "I bet being a matron is really stressful, but sometimes it can probably be really fun, too. You get to raise so many little ones, and in the end they love you like a parent."

Fang snorted at that. "Don't tell me you're going to become a matron. I don't wanna live in the orphanage forever."

"Don't worry, Fang. I'm gonna become a jewelry maker," Vanille replied with certainty, though internally she did wonder what it would be like to raise a child. Perhaps one day if there was an orphan who did not want to live with the others... She wrapped her arms around Fang's waist, adding, "Besides, I don't wanna live there forever either. I wanna live with you, Fang."

Fang smiled warmly at that. "You will."

xxx

Fang and Vanille made good time once Vanille was fully awake. They stopped only twice to rest and reached the medicine woman's lonely hut just as the blazing sun reached its highest point in the sky. The girls were offered a hearty lunch in exchange for Chief Torren's package, the contents of which Fang could not know, and then were sent on their way with two large packs filled with herbal remedies and medicines that were either payment or a gift. Fang could not know because she did not know what Chief Torren had offered to the hermit woman who was kind but very strange.

As the two of them took off on their return journey, Fang was sincerely glad that Vanille had offered to join her, because even though she was strong enough, she doubted that she could have found a way to balance both packs on her back.

With the heavy packages weighing them down, Fang and Vanille found it very difficult to return to Oerba at the same speed from which they had left the village. It was around sunset when they were still a few hours away, and Vanille had already begun to complain that her feet were starting to hurt. Fang felt the same way, but she would not say it out loud because she felt it was probably unbecoming of a hunter.

"I should've figured it'd take us longer to get back." Fang sighed and smiled faintly at her companion. "We might as well make the most of this trip. Know any good stories? We'll be walking for a while yet."

"Not really." Vanille shook her head as a grin grew on her features. "How about you? I enjoyed that fairytale you told me during the apple festival."

"Did you like how it was interactive?" Fang teased playfully. "I thought it was a pretty creative way to let you know what I was feeling."

"It was a very exciting story," Vanille replied with a shy smile, adding, "I bet if we stopped for a little while, we could still make it back to the village before dark. Besides, I'm not even tired yet. Even if we don't make it back early we can keep walking."

Fang smirked faintly, glancing sidelong at her. "I dunno what we'd do if we stopped. The forest is just so boring..."

"Faaang," Vanille whined, pouting.

"I guess we could take a quick break," Fang conceded with a smile that was partially wicked and partially affectionate. She placed her hand on the small of Vanille's back and guided her away from the path. "There's a stream nearby here. That should be a good place."

"Aren't there usually animals near streams?" Vanille suggested worriedly.

"Yeah, but there'll only be little critters for now, and we won't get that close to the water anyway."

Vanille nodded, glancing around curiously as they moved between the trees, "Do you hear something, Fang?"

"Like what?" Fang teased, "I hear a lot of stuff. This _is_ a forest, you know."

"It's a chirping sound. It's really faint, but kind of cute." Vanille passed through the trees more quickly, mumbling to herself, "It almost sounds like..." A gasp escaped her lips as she finally cleared the forest and her eyes found the maker of the sound in question. "It _is_!"

Fang raised her brow and followed quickly behind the younger girl, though she paused at the treeline, a faint smile crossing her features, as Vanille crouched beside the river and cupped a small, fluffy yellow form into her hands.

"Fang, it's a baby chocobo," Vanille squealed excitedly.

"I can see that." Fang tilted her head to the side as she leaned back against the tree. "One look at that cute thing and I bet you wanna adopt it, right?"

Vanille hugged the creature to her breast. "It's just so cute, Fang. What d'you think it's doing all the way out here? Chocobos hate the wild."

"The domesticated ones hate the wild," Fang corrected with an amused look even though she was a little disappointed by the appearance of this creature because she and Vanille had had other plans. "Some of them actually live in the woods, you know, and if that one's got parents you better look out."

Vanille ignored Fang, petting the baby chocobo's head as it chirped and squirmed in her grasp. "You're such a cute little choboco. What're you doing out here all alone? Don't you have a mommy?"

The adorable creature chirped more loudly, so Vanille stroked its feathers.

"Don't worry. I don't have a mommy either. Not anymore, anyway. I lost her a long time ago, so I know what you're going through."

"You know, if it does have a mommy, she might get a little fussy about you suffocating her baby," Fang teased from her perch against the tree trunk.

"I am _not_ suffocating her," Vanille protested, lowering her voice as she pet the animal more softly. "Don't listen to Fang, baby chocobo. I'm gonna keep you and take good care of you."

Fang merely laughed and shook her head, completely absorbed by Vanille's behavior because she felt that her partner was all the more adorable.

"I've gotta think of a good name for you." Vanille ruffled the baby's feathers affectionately and made a thoughtful noise. "How about Demena? No, it's too formal, right? Maybe Demi? Elli?" Vanille placed her fingers on her chin. "Maybe...Nena? That's a cute name."

"I don't see why you have to give it a name. It's just a critter." The voice was deep and foreign, causing Vanille to jump as she looked over her shoulder.

"Wow, you're really gorgeous." The speaker was a tall, dark-haired man with crystal blue eyes and a wide smile. "I'm Det, by the way. It looks like you're gonna be my wife. Congratulations."

"Who says she's gonna be your wife, Det?" The shorter man beside him with sand-colored hair crossed his arms. "I'm Talon, girlie, and since I saw you first, you're gonna be mine."

"Actually, I saw her first." The smallest of the three of them carried several large muscles. He winked at Vanille. "Don't let my size fool you, darling. The name's Morik and I'm _well_-endowed to suit your needs."

"There's no sense arguing with each other, boys." Fang suddenly appeared behind them, her eyes ablaze and her spear raised and prepared to crack as many skulls as necessary. "She's not yours for the taking."

"See, now, brothers? There's another one here for the two of you to fight over," Det told the other two. "And look at the chest on her. Those're great for milking babes and for nighttime games."

"I don't want that one, Det." Talon complained. "She's a brute, not at all pretty like the other girl."

"Yeah, Det, it'd be totally unfair for you to get the pretty one all to yourself," Morik whined. "Ever since dad died, you get everything you want, but this time we're deciding fairly. Let's have a game of cards to decide who gets which one."

"A game of cards?" Fang nodded her head in approval, relaxing her stance. "That's a great idea."

"You mean, you'll give in if we let the cards decide?" Talon seemed surprised.

"Oh, I didn't say that." Fang smirked coldly, her eyes narrowing. "I was just thinking it'd be much easier to kill you three knuckleheads while you were playing your game, so have at it. I haven't got all night."

Det snorted in amusement. "You may be big and brutish, but you're still just a girl."

Fang shrugged indifferently. "Keep thinking like that. It'll make it all the easier for me to kick your sorry little—"

"I'm bored with her, brothers." Det waved his hand dismissively as he turned towards Vanille. "You two take care of her. We can find you boys a wife another time, but this little one's mine."

"I am _not_ little," Vanille growled, standing and stepping away from him. She still clutched the baby chocobo in her arms.

"Vanille, go wait in the trees or something," Fang ordered urgently, glaring at Det. "You three can all fight me. Gives you a better chance of winning, don't you think?"

"Two against one is fine odds for your battle," Det replied dismissively. "Hurry up and get rid of her, brothers. I'll take care of the little one while you're fighting with the brute."

"That's a bad choice," Fang replied through gritted teeth.

She attempted to push past the two smaller men to fight the one who posed the greatest threat to Vanille, but underestimating the two standing right in front of her would cost her precious moments. Talon sidestepped into her path and threw a kick that would sweep her legs out from under her as he unsheathed his sword, but she was quick enough to jump over his attack. At the very same moment, the shortest of the three brothers unsheathed his own sword and sliced it through the air in her direction. Fang had no choice but to spin away from him and duck as both boys suddenly came at her.

"Not so tough now, are you, brute?" Talon snickered.

"You haven't seen anything yet," Fang replied with a growl as she twirled her spear above her head and swept it across the ground.

Talon jumped quickly over her attack, a triumphant smirk on his face, but Morik miscalculated, thinking that the attack was only meant for his brother, and did not even so much as block. The force of Fang's powerful blow was enough to fill the air with the resounding _crack_ of one of the bones close to Morik's ankle, which caused him to collapse to the ground with a scream of searing pain.

"The bitch broke my leg!" He cried loudly, hugging his wounded limb close and gritting his teeth so as not to scream again. "Kill her, brother! She deserves it."

Talon nodded, glaring coldly. "It didn't have to come to this, you know."

"Sure it did," Fang replied as she stepped forwards to do away with him quickly. Vanille had raced into the trees to escape only to be followed by Det, the largest and most dangerous of the group. Her need of rescue required Fang's immediate attention. "Now, if you're a good little boy and get outta my way, I won't even hurt ya. Doesn't that sound like a good idea?"

He sneered coldly. "Worried about your little companion, are you? She's a real beauty, that one. I'm sure Det's already had his way with her by now, so you don't have to worry. She's good and pleasured."

A shiver of panic sent adrenaline rushing through Fang's veins and she swung her staff so hard that it broke his sword-bearing wrist. Then she knocked him out, most likely giving him a concussion, and glared at the injured man still clutching his leg close on the ground. He offered no protest to her treatment of his brother, his eyes wide with the fear that she would kill him.

Fang informed him coldly, "If anything's happened to her, you can bet I'm coming back, and what I'll do to you's not gonna be pretty."

With those words spoken, Fang raced through the trees in the direction in which she had seen Vanille sprinting away. She strained her ears for sounds of a struggled and desperately followed the trail that the other two had left. The man was large, so he had broken many twigs and leaves in his path and his bootprints had sunk into the dirt.

Her breath caught in her throat and she knew that she was close when she heard a strange grunting and the sounds of Vanille's screams filling the air.

"Vanille!" Fang cried desperately as she burst through the trees in a fit of panic, but she stopped in her tracks, unsure how to react to the situation before her eyes.

"You will apologize!" Vanille screamed angrily.

The pink-haired girl, her face red with fury, sat on top of Det's chest. The man beneath her was on the ground twisted tightly in the coils of the binding rod and he was clearly unable to escape despite his best efforts. He was covered in bruises from trying to break free, and glaringly he spat at Vanille.

"Don't do that!" Vanille commanded as she slapped him across the face. "You're gonna apologize or I'm gonna leave you here covered in food for the bears to find."

The baby chocobo sat on Vanille's head, jumping enthusiastically whenever she shouted and waving its wings as though to scold the dangerous man.

"Vanille..." Fang laughed partially with relief and partially in sincere amusement. "What're you doing? Clearly you've defeated him, though I dunno how that's possible, so let's just go."

"No. He has to apologize first," Vanille insisted, glancing at Fang and looking terribly disturbed by whatever had come to pass between them. "What he did was inexcusable."

"Inexcusable? What'd he do?" Fang demanded, stepping forwards as her eyes filled with fury. "Did he hurt you before you got him all tied up, Vanille?" Her fists clenched until her knuckles were white. "Did he touch you?"

"He didn't have the chance to do that, though he wanted to," Vanille replied with pursed lips as she slapped him again. "But what you did was worse than that, wasn't it?"

"Worse than that?" Fang's eyes darkened until she looked like she might kill him. "What'd he do, Vanille? You tell me and I'll see that he's punished."

"He called you brutish!" Vanille nearly shrieked, turning partially to face Fang. "You're _so_ beautiful, Fang. None of them had any right to say bad things about you. You're not brutish at all, so he's gonna apologize or he's gonna be bear food. It's his choice."

Fang stared at her for a moment, the tension seeping quickly out of her as she tried to make sense of the words that she had just heard. "Wait a minute. This is all because he called me brutish?"

"Yes!" Vanille cried, glaring at the man bound beneath her. "He's gotta apologize. It isn't right that they said I was beautiful and called you a brute. You're way more beautiful than me."

The older girl stared at her for a moment before she burst out laughing.

"Fang, it isn't funny," Vanille whined, pouting. "I won't let anyone say bad things about you."

Fang crossed the clearly, still laughing, gripped Vanille lightly by the arms, and tugged her upwards. She led Vanille a few steps away from the man and wrapped her arms around her waist, murmuring in her ear, "Don't you think torturing him over a little comment like that is a bit much?"

"No. He called you brutish, and with what he wanted to do to me..." Vanille peeked around Fang to glare at the man who was still struggling and grunting on the ground. "I think we should feed him to the bears, Fang. Or maybe we could toss him in the river." Eying her partner with a pout, she inquired, "What d'you think we should do? Do you want me to go wait on the path while you punish him?"

"I think you could've been a hunter," Fang replied with a teasing grin, brushing her dark pink bangs behind her ears. "Now, go get your binding rod. We're going straight back to the village and not stopping. I want to reach Oerba by nightfall."

"But what're we gonna do with him?"

"Nothing. He's probably learned his lesson after being taken down by a cute girl like you," Fang replied as she gave Vanille a light squeeze and then released her.

"Fang, we're..." Vanille stared in disbelief. "We're just gonna let him go?"

"I really don't think we can go killing people over little comments. If he had touched you, that'd be a different story," Fang replied with a grin as she patted her shoulder. "Anyway, though, I'm knocking him out first. I don't wanna take any chances that he'll follow us back to the village."

"It's too late now that I've heard where you're going," he snarled coldly. "Oerba'll be our next stop, and you can bet that little pink-haired bitch is the first one I'll kill."

"Watch your mouth," Fang growled, kicking him in the ribs. "I've got no problem killing a prick like you who thinks you can just pick any girl out of the forest and do what you want with her, and if you think you wanna take your chances in a village filled with primarily hunters and apparently freakishly strong but equally cute girls, be my guest. I look forward to watching an angry mob take you out."

He did not have a chance to reply before Fang knocked him unconscious with her staff.

"Grab your binding rod, Vanille. Are you really taking that chocobo?"

"Yep!" Vanille smiled excitedly. "I've decided to name her Nena. I think it's cute."

"Really?" Fang raised her brow. "I think of a grandmother when I hear that name."

Vanille ignored her, tugging the little chocobo off of her head and beginning to run her fingers through its feathers. As she pet-talked with it Fang realized that the younger girl was not going to collect her weapon and picked up the rod for her before securing it to Vanille's belt, which caused the younger girl to jump in surprise.

"Come on. It looks like we'll just have to sneak away into the forest around the village if we want some alone time. I'm not risking another encounter like this." Eying Vanille suspiciously, Fang added, "Not that it'd be a problem for you, apparently. How'd you trap him like that?"

"It was the same as when I trapped the bear," Vanille explained with a clever smile. "I climbed up a tree knowing he'd try to follow me, and while he was climbing up a I trapped him in the coils. He got all tangled and fell to the ground, so then I just jumped out of the tree like you taught me. He couldn't get out, but he kept trying."

Fang laughed lightly, wrapping her arm around her waist. "You're really something else, Vanille. It's not too late to become a hunter, you know."

"I don't like killing," Vanille insisted with a pout as she leaned into Fang's grasp while hugging Nena to her chest.

"You seemed pretty keen on killing that jerk," Fang pointed out with an amused grin.

Vanille's face flushed. "Well... He deserved it!"

Fang simply laughed, her fingers tracing a pattern against the small of Vanille's back as she murmured. "It's good to know you think I'm beautiful though." With a twinkle in her eye, she added, "I already knew I was, of course, but I'm glad you agree."

Vanille giggled at that and rested her head against Fang's shoulder, glancing up at her with an amused smile. "Do you really think I'm freakishly strong?"

"Either that or you're the luckiest girl I've ever met," Fang replied with a grin as she kissed her temple. "What d'you think?"

"I'm the luckiest girl ever, since I've got you," Vanille replied promptly.

Fang grinned widely at that and the two of them shared a slow, gentle kiss before they continued their journey.

Xxx

Fang slumped down by herself in the dining hall and tugged her plate to the edge of the table where she could reach it more easily. She was a little sour about the fact that she could not each lunch with Vanille that day, but Chief Torren had insisted that they take a much later lunch than usual in order to make the most of one of the last morning hunts before autumn began. Even though she was no longer an apprentice, it would still not be in good form to argue with the lead hunter just so that she could eat lunch with her girlfriend, so Fang had kept her mouth shut even though she wanted to just go back at the usual time.

A form suddenly edged into the seat beside her, teasing, "No sneaking off into the bushes during lunch today? Did you and Vanille have a fight?"

"No. Our schedules just don't match up today," Fang replied with an indifferent shrug, forcing herself to seem fine because she thought it was a little ridiculous that she was so upset about missing lunch with the other girl for one day. "What're you teasing me for anyway? I heard a rumor that the blacksmith all but caught you and his daughter together in the middle of the act the other day."

"That was just a rumor, thankfully," Konnor replied with a good-natured smile. "I think if he did catch us doing that, he'd kill me. He's a lot stronger than me, maybe even stronger than you."

"Impossible," Fang argued, merely joking.

After chuckling, Konnor shifted in his seat. "So, speaking of the blacksmith's daughter, I've got some news."

"Yeah?" Fang raised her brow. "Did ya get her pregnant?"

He scowled, poking her in the ribs. "This is serious. Don't ruin it."

"Fine, sorry." Fang grinned, prompting, "So, what's the news?"

"I'm getting married, Fang," Konnor replied with a semi-ecstatic look. "I asked her father for permission first, which I think he really liked, and then I asked her. She said yes and got really misty-eyed and excited like most girls do." He paused to roll his eyes. "Anyway, so that's the news."

A warm grin spread across Fang's face, because she knew that Konnor was far more excited than he was allowing himself to appear. "So, you're finally tying the knot? Congrats."

"Thanks." He eyed her for a moment, looking unsure of himself, "Any interest in standing with me at the ceremony? I don't have ay siblings and my parents were gone a while ago. Milla's gonna have her sister stand with her, but like I said, I don't have any family besides you, so..."

"Isn't it supposed to be a boy that stands with the groom?"

"Why's it gotta be a boy?" Konnor teased, his words reminiscent of words that she had uttered years earlier. "It just makes more sense to have you standing next to me."

Fang laughed at that and placed her hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly. "Of course, I'll stand with you, Konnor. You're a brother to me, so I'll even help you with the preparations that the groom is supposed to take care of."

"Thanks, Fang. This really means a lot to me." He smiled nervously. "To be honest, I'm already getting a little anxious. What if I forget my creed? Milla'll just kill me if I do."

"I'll help you memorize it," Fang assured him with a triumphant smile. "Don't worry about a thing. With Fang on your team, you'll definitely win—er, get married successfully."

He chuckled lightly at that. "Good. Thanks."

Heavy footsteps suddenly clanked against the floor. They were the only two left in the dining hall, so Konnor and Fang both turned around with looks of surprised curiosity.

"Konnor!" Vanille gasped excitedly, throwing her arms around his neck from behind. "Milla's just stopped by the jeweler's and told me the news. I'm so excited for you. A wedding! Did you already ask Fang to stand with you? Oh, the ceremony'll be so wonderful. Congratulations! This is so exciting!"

"Er...thanks." Konnor squirmed awkwardly in her grasp.

Vanille squeezed his shoulders for a second before releasing him and moving toward Fang, who watched her with an amused smile. Wrapping her arms around the other girl's neck and nuzzling against her, Vanille murmured, "I know you're busy today, Fang, but I just wanted to see you."

Konnor rolled his eyes. "You know, if you two can't even miss one lunch together, how's Fang ever gonna uphold her duty as a hunter?"

"Since she has to leave so much, it only makes sense for us to spend every second together while she's here," Vanille argued gently, grinning sidelong at Konnor. "I'm just so excited about your wedding! Do you know what color dress Milla's mother will make for her? Are you gonna wear the traditional robes or more modern ones? Did you decide on the main course for the feast? What's your house gonna look like? Did you already start building it?"

Konnor's mouth opened, but he faltered as he could not decide what to answer first.

"Vanille, give him a second to breathe," Fang interrupted as she turned around on the bench and pulled the smaller girl onto her lap. "He's only just gotten engaged."

After watching the two of them cuddle together for a few seconds, Konnor excused himself, placing his hand on Fang's shoulder. "I'll see you later, okay? I've gotta get back to work."

Fang knew that he was just giving the two of them some privacy, so she nodded, grinning. "Congrats again. I can't believe it took you this long to ask her, honestly."

"I wanted to save up some money first, remember?" Konnor smiled cheekily. "See you two later. Try not to get too friendly right here in the lunch hall, okay?"

Vanille blushed and Fang merely smirked at she waved goodbye to him.

After Konnor had left, Fang wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist from behind and kissed her cheek, murmuring, "Wanna get friendly somewhere else?"

"Fang, we don't have time," Vanille giggled as she cuddle against her.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! I hope everyone likes it! Updating will be a little more difficult for me from now on, but I'll try my best. I've been trying to think of some one-shots to write for Fang and Vanille. Any suggestions? Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

The night was clear and crisp, the crickets and other critters chirping loudly and howling at the full moon that shined overhead. Stars twinkled brilliantly in the black sky, joining the moon to light Fang's path as she crept through the quiet village to the orphanage.

It was not unusual for Fang's hunts to last much longer than she had originally anticipated, especially on days when the full moon lingered behind the bright blue sky, driving the forest creatures wild and even stirring the more natural instincts of some of the villagers. That day had been no different, and a simple hunt had become quite a dangerous one, leading her to face several monsters about which she would not dare to tell Vanille for fear that the other girl would beg her never to hunt again.

Speaking of Vanille, Fang felt a little bit guilty. She had assured the girl that she would be back in time to see her before attending Konnor's party, which would celebrate his last night as an unmarried man. Unfortunately, because she was so late and the party had begun hours earlier, she felt that rather than stopping to see Vanille, who was hopefully already sleeping, she owed it to Konnor to finally arrive. Clutched in her hands was a bag filled with a delicious drink that she hoped would serve as a peace offering when Konnor demanded to know where she had been.

The floorboards creaked and whined underfoot as Fang sneaked quietly through the hallways that were surprisingly unfamiliar to her. Konnor's small celebration was to be held in a room that she had never been permitted to see before that moment, because tradition held that the groom would spend the night with all the men in his wedding party. Villagers who lived in their parents' homes would generally hold such a part in their bedrooms if they were poor or in rooms rented from the nearest inn otherwise, but as Konnor was an orphan, a special room was provided to him by the matrons.

Fang anticipated that the party would be enjoyable, though she was a bit unsure what to expect. In the past, she had been told that the groom and his friends would simply drink and play games, but she imagined that they were much more likely to discuss the prospect of the wedding night and tease the groom for hours. The only downside in her mind was that the groom's party would consist of all men besides herself, which generally set her apart from the others in a way that she did not appreciate. If tradition were followed, she would not even be able to attend Konnor's party, but since he had chosen a woman to stand at his side during the wedding ceremony, it seemed only logical to invite her to his party.

One thing that she did look forward to was seeing what Konnor and his friends discussed in their free time when there were no other women such as herself around, because she was deathly curious about whether or not they talked about her. That had left her originally hoping to spy on them by listening through the door before she entered. However, her position as a hunter had caused her to arrive so late that she knew that she should just enter the party without playing any games.

After passing through a long hallway at the end of which the groom's party would be held, Fang determined that the matrons must have found an isolated room in which to hold the party because the events usually became so rowdy. Her assumption was mostly due to the rambunctious laughter that she could hear through the thick, closed door.

A faint smile crossed Fang's lips as she approached, because it was so late that she wondered if they would be surprised to see her and secretly hoped to catch them in compromising positions. The moment that her hand touched the doorknob, the laughter went out like a snuffed candle. It was almost silent as she opened the door, causing her to believe that they thought she was a matron coming to tell them to quiet down.

"Fang!" Konnor gasped immediately, narrowing his eyes and placing his hands on his hips. "Where the hell've you been? The party started three hours ago. I was sure you weren't coming."

"Oh, sorry. I got a bit held up catching your dinner for the next week or so," Fang replied with a playful gleam in her eyes, adding for good measure, "You're welcome for that."

Konnor and the other boys in his wedding party, most of whom Fang had grown up with, laughed. As he motioned her inside, Konnor insisted, "Well, we've been waiting for you for hours now."

Fang did not bother to answer him as she took in the sight of them all. They were sitting in a circle, most of them with their shirts tossed on the floor and their pants rolled up to their knees, and everyone looked a bit sweaty.

Placing her hands on her hips, she looked at Konnor and exclaimed teasingly, "I'm not sure I wanna know what you've all been doing, but I've gotta ask anyway. What kind of party _is_ this?"

Konnor rolled his eyes. "We've been wrestling for a while now. So far I'm undefeated besides Tom, who no one could beat."

"Tom?" Fang glanced up to see a sweaty, muscular boy with dirty blond hair and brown eyes sitting in the center of the circle. When her eyes met his, he seemed to shift uncomfortably. Fang smirked faintly. "You're the one no one can beat?"

He nodded, lowering his eyes. "Uh, I don't think we've ever met."

"Sure we have." Fang smirked faintly at him, her brow arching. "You don't remember proposing to Vanille in the middle of the market all those years ago?"

"You proposed to Vanille?" The boy sitting next to him raised his brows. "Wow! She's so pretty. I'd never have been brave enough."

"I was just a kid back then," Tom insisted, eyes still locked nervously with Fang's.

Everyone seemed to laugh at his fearful reaction.

"You're looking at me like I'm gonna eat you or something," Fang teased, laughing lightly. "You think I'm angry? Seeing Vanille get all flustered when you asked her was hilarious."

In truth, Fang remembered exactly how she had felt at that moment and she did not believe she had thought it was funny at all. However, in retrospect and knowing that Vanille was completely hers, it _was_ just a little bit humorous.

"I was very young," Tom replied again, still looking like he thought she would attack him. "I would never propose to her now."

"Oh?" Fang cocked her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. "Why's that? You think there's something wrong with her?"

Tom's eyes widened in horror, "N-No..."

"Stop worrying, Tom. Fang's teasing you," Konnor interrupted with a roll of his eyes. "Fang, you've only been here a few minutes."

Laughingly, the dark-haired girl shrugged. "A girl's gotta have some fun every now and then."

Tom's shoulders seemed to sag with relief, prompting another boy to jeer, "You're such a wuss, Tom. You should've challenged her to a fight like a man."

"Hey, I may be the wrestling champ among you guys, but I'm not stupid," Tom argued with a faint smile as the tension broke and everyone began to laugh. "Besides, Konnor's the one who has to wrestle with her. It's tradition since she's the one who'll stand as his witness during the ceremony."

"Really? That's the tradition?" Fang laughed lightly as she glanced at Konnor, who wrinkled his nose at the prospect of fighting her. "Well, I would do that, but I don't think it'd be nice to beat up the groom on the night before his wedding. What d'you think, Konnor?"

"Tradition says that girls can't be a part of the groom's party, so I don't think it'd be a problem not to follow some of the other traditions," Konnor replied with a nod of certainty before grinning devilishly. "Now, tell me why you're really so late. I don't believe for a second that you were hunting this long. Did you stop off to say hello to Vanille?"

"No, but I probably should've." Fang frowned thoughtfully as she joined them in the circle. "I bet she's worried."

"So...the two of you are really together?" Tom blurted suddenly.

Fang raised her brows, glancing around the circle to see that everyone was suddenly staring at her, and smirked. "Didn't the matrons ever teach you boys to mind your own?"

"Oh, come on. You've gotta tell us," Tamin Aaron protested with a pout. "We've all been wondering for ages now. Konnor refuses to tell us one way or the other. Says it's not his place or something."

Fang laughed at that. "Good to know Konnor's so loyal."

"I can _stop_ being loyal if you want, since you're so late and all," Konnor replied with a gleeful look.

"Oh, there's no reason to be like that. I brought something to make up for it," Fang replied with a grin as she held up the bag in her hand. "I've got three bottles of the best ale ever brewed in this village, and since I'm not allowed to get raving drunk in case the village floods, I expect the lot of you to drink every last drop."

"You can pass that straight to me," Konnor commanded has he immediately reached out for the bag. "I'm nervous enough to drink all three bottles."

"Do that and we'll be carrying you to the ceremony tomorrow," Fang teased as she passed the bottle to the boy beside her and they all began passing around cups.

After everyone had poured themselves drinks, the party seemed to truly begin. Fang watched for a while as some of the others wrestled each other, drank, and primarily discussed all of their escapades with the village girls. Most of her evening was spent at Konnor's side, and whenever she was asked to entertain she told everyone stories about her adventures as a hunter, allowing them to live through her for just a moment. Almost all boys in the village grew up dreaming about hunting, but many did not see that dream come to pass.

When the full moon was highest in the sky, Fang slowly stood up. "Well, as fun as it'd be to sleep here with you sweaty lot, there's a pretty girl on the other side of the orphanage who doesn't like to sleep alone, so I'll be going."

"What?" Konnor gasped.

The others mostly broke into whispered conversations asking each other if she had just confirmed the relationship.

"Fang," Konnor protested, "you _have_ to sleep here. What if I lose it in the middle of the night and run away 'cause I'm so nervous? All of these idiots'll be too drunk to stop me by then."

"Hm, babysit Konnor all night when he's in no danger of actually running away or crawl into bed with a gorgeous girl." Fang pretended to weigh the options in her hands.

She smirked at the way that the other guests, mostly drunk, nodded their heads because that was confirmation enough for them.

"Fang, I really need you to stay here." Konnor frowned in disappointment.

"You're really nervous enough to run off in the middle of the night?" Fang placed her hands on her hips as she looked at him. "Konnor, Milla's the best catch in the village."

Her friend raised his brow at her.

"Obviously, besides Vanille, but I thought that went without saying," Fang replied humorously before sobering. "Seriously, though. You're worried?"

"I dunno." Konnor lowered his eyes, sighing dramatically. "I love her, I swear, and I wanna marry her, but I keep thinking... What if I'm not good enough?"

"You're good enough," Fang assured him, her grin growing teasing as she added, "A bit rough around the edges, but I'm sure she'll smooth that out in no time."

"Fang!" He huffed, crossing his arms. "You can't leave because you're the one standing with me tomorrow and I need you here to convince me that this is the right thing to do."

She watched him for a moment, searching his eyes for sincerity, before her shoulders fell with guilty defeat. "All right, fine. But at least lemme go say goodnight to Vanille."

"Okay, but if you don't come back, I'm coming to your room to get you." Konnor chuckled devilishly. "And I'm sure I don't wanna see whatever I might catch you guys doing."

"_I'll _go get her."

"What're they gonna be doing?"

"Hey, I wanna go, too!"

Fang rolled her eyes at the mostly drunken guys and waved to Konnor. "I'll be back later. Try not to drink too much more, boys, 'cause if everyone's naked when I get back, I swear I'm not staying."

xxx

Fang moved through the hallways as silently as she could, though she was annoyed that the floorboards still creaked and mused that the matrons most likely left them damaged so that they would know when someone was sneaking in late. It took her a little longer to reach her bedroom than usual because she tried so hard not to wake anyone, but when she finally pulled the door open, a faint smile crossed her face. She shut the door quickly so that she would not wake the other girls, but the candlelight from the hallway had illuminated her own bed just long enough for her to see Vanille.

The younger girl was sprawled out across the covers, sound asleep and still wearing her day clothes. It seemed likely that she had attempted to wait up for her, not changing into her pajamas because that might encourage her mind to think that it was time for rest.

As Fang's eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see Vanille lying there with an adorably serene look on her face. Knowing that she was having a good dream for once, she felt entranced and stood there staring. Vanille was absolutely perfect to her. There was no other way to describe what she felt for her or about her, and she could not imagine how unbearable her life would have become if Vanille had not returned her feelings.

Eventually, Fang sat on the edge of the bed and slipped her fingers gently through the younger girl's silky locks, running her fingers through her curls until Vanille's lids finally fluttered open.

"Fang!" Vanille whispered excitedly, immediately sitting up and throwing her arms around Fang's neck. Holding her close, she allowed herself to fall backwards, tugging Fang down with her as the older girl half-embraced her. "Where were you, Fang? I was really worried."

"The hunt lasted a little longer than I thought it would, but the good news is that no one in the village will starve," Fang replied with a faint grin as she shifted into a more comfortable position and rested against Vanille, relishing in the other girl's warmth. "I hope you've been sleeping. I didn't know you'd wait up."

Vanille yawned sleepily and nuzzled against her, feeling warm and safe in her embrace just as she had for all the years that they had known each other. "I bet I wasn't awake too long waiting. I was really exhausted. Anyway, it doesn't matter 'cause you're here now. Let's go to bed!"

Fang kissed the soft skin of Vanille's cheek before burying her face in her neck. Apologetically, she murmured, "I can't stay tonight. Konnor's all panicky about getting married. He wants me to stay with him in case the full moon makes him all crazy and he decides to run away."

"What? But Fang, you can't leave!" Vanille pouted, hugging her more tightly. "You promised I'd never have to sleep alone, at least not while you're in the village."

Fang propped herself up at the elbows and leaned forwards to peck the younger girl's silky lips. "You're not afraid of nightmares, are you?"

Vanille shook her head, though she admitted cautiously, "I still have them all the time, but since you're gone sometimes, I just had to learn to be okay anyways."

"Why do you think you have so many?" Fang frowned worriedly as she brushed Vanille's bangs tenderly out of her face as she began to sit up.

"I dunno," Vanille replied as she leaned into her touch and wrapped her arms around Fang's neck once more. She pulled the girl semi-forcefully back down with her. "You can't leave! I won't let you."

Fang laughed into Vanille's shoulder and kissed her neck as she wrapped one arm around her waist. "Oh, come on. It can't be so bad sleeping without me for just one night."

"But I don't wanna sleep alone," Vanille whined, still hugging Fang tightly as though she could truly restrain her. "Can't I come sleep there with you?"

Fang snorted at that. "With all the boys? I don't think so."

"Why not?" Vanille pouted. "Are you scared I'll crawl into someone else's bed?"

Fang lifted her head to look at her, her brow arched playfully. "Should I be?"

"No! I would never do that, Fang," Vanille insisted, flushing faintly. "I don't even really like boys that way. I never did."

"Well, what about other girls then?" Fang teased, only joking. "Are you gonna crawl into bed with one of them if I go?"

Vanille thrust her chin in the air. "Maybe. I bet Evi would come stay with me."

"Really?" Fang poked her in the stomach, causing the other girl to squeal. "I thought Evi had a boyfriend."

The younger girl shrugged indifferently, since she would not truly invite anyone else to stay with her even if Fang would not remain.

"Besides, I bet she's not as good a kisser as me," Fang added with a playful look, brushing her lips along Vanille's jawline. "You'd be disappointed."

Vanille giggled at that, snuggling up to Fang and bringing their lips together in a soft, lingering kiss. "Don't worry, Fang. I don't wanna be with anyone else. We'll be together forever."

Fang grinned at that and leaned into a deeper kiss. The gesture lasted a bit longer than Fang had thought it would, stretching over a long, unmeasurable amount of time. Their lips meshed passionately together until Fang realized suddenly that she had all but abandoned Konnor in his time of need, at which point she gently disengaged herself from the younger girl.

"Don't go." Vanille pouted as she sat up and hugged one of Fang's arms. "Konnor won't run away. Milla's wonderful."

As she studied Vanille's desperate gaze, Fang felt her resolve begin to break. She did not know what caused Vanille to have so many nightmares, but she could not simply allow her to suffer, not when she cared so deeply for her. For once, she was in the village and able to protect Vanille from her bad dreams, so she could not leave her.

However, Konnor needed her, too.

Leaning forwards to kiss the younger girl's cheek, Fang mumbled, "Come on. Change into your nightclothes and we'll go to Konnor's party together. There shouldn't be any harm in you sleeping there."

"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened hopefully as a grin began to grow on her face.

"Yeah, really." Fang laughed lightly and reeled Vanille into her arms, resting her cheek against the top of her head and breathing in the sweet scent of her hair. "I'll never leave you alone, Vanille. Not when you need me."

The younger girl cooed and rested against her, thanking every deity she could think of for giving her someone as wonderful as Fang. Being allowed to accompany Fang back to Konnor's party because the other girl cared so deeply for her confirmed what had already seemed inevitable: she and Fang would never separate. Nothing would ever be able to tear the two of them apart. Similarly, there would be no one else that she could ever care so deeply for, no one whose embrace would be as satisfying as Fang's. Even if it was just the two of them, they would be together forever no matter what.

"Come on," Fang prompted, hugging Vanille close for a moment before she finally released her. "Let's get changed. You don't wanna ruin your clothes by sleeping in them."

Vanille nodded before she practically skipped to the armoire in excitement. She never wanted to be apart from her girlfriend, not even for one night.

"You might wanna bring some blankets as well," Fang suggested quietly as she changed into a more comfortable outfit. "I think we're all just gonna sleep on the floor with some pillows otherwise."

"I'll get enough for both of us to share," Vanille exclaimed with a grin as she hopped towards the bed and began tugging the covers into her arms.

The two of them clasped their hands together, grinning sidelong and teasing each other as they walked quietly through the hallways. Vanille held several blankets under her arm at first, but when she began to look as though she were struggling, Fang took them from her. The younger girl was grateful, so she hugged Fang's arm and snuggled against her.

By the time that they reached the room where the party was taking place, Vanille was so sleepy that she was practically dozing against Fang's arm. With a chuckle, the older girl mumbled that they had arrived and lightly nudged her before finally tugging the door open.

Fang was a little surprised to see that most of the boys had passed out, and she wondered how long she had been gone because everyone but Konnor appeared to be asleep.

When she walked through the door with an exhausted Vanille trailing behind her, Konnor gave her a perplexed look. "Fang, this is a boys-only party."

"I'm a woman, if you haven't noticed," Fang replied promptly.

Snickering, Konnor informed her teasingly, "You don't count when you're stronger than most of the boys in the village. Vanille, on the other hand, isn't invited."

Vanille pouted sleepily. "Why not? Just 'cause I'm not strong like Fang?"

"You may not be stronger than me, Vanille, but I bet you're stronger than Konnor," Fang replied with a faint smirk, laughing when Konnor snorted. "Well, she's killed a bear with nothing but a binding rod and a small dagger _and_ she rescued herself from a man much stronger than you in the forest. All I've ever seen you do was run away while I fought a King Behemoth."

"Okay, fine. She can stay." Offhandedly, he added, "But I still don't think she's stronger than me."

Fang merely grinned triumphantly before crossing the room to sit against the wall beside him. Vanille trailed behind Fang, dropping her blankets unceremoniously at Fang's side before she practically fell into them and curled up at Fang's side. The younger girl was asleep in moments.

Fang grinned down at Vanille, feeling the girl's warm, peaceful breath against her thigh in spite of the pants that covered her. The sensation was a wonderful reminder that the girl for whom she cared so deeply was completely safe. With a warm smile, she reached out and ran her finger's tenderly through her pink locks, careful not to awaken her in the process.

Konnor watched them for a while before sighing nervously. "Fang, getting married is the right thing to do, isn't it? I'll be able to provide for Milla even though I don't have a family, right?"

"'Course you will," Fang replied quietly without averting her eyes from Vanille. "Besides, Milla's got a family and they love you, which means you'll have all the help you ever need. Isn't she working at the bakery anyway? You won't be the only source of income."

"Yeah. The baker's her grandfather, so he gave her a job." Konnor lowered his eyes. "She only asked him about it when we got engaged. I think she was worried I wouldn't be able to support her."

Fang grinned devilishly at him. "Look at you, all insecure. I've never seen you like this."

"Fang, you're supposed to reassure me." His protest came with a frown.

"You shouldn't need any reassuring. What you say doesn't even make sense." Fang laughed lightly. "Konnor, you're gonna be one of the only two blacksmiths in a village of hunters who constantly break their weapons in the woods. Milla would have to be an idiot to think the two of you won't have everything you need, and since she's not an idiot, she's not worried that you won't be able to support her."

Konnor nodded, lowering his eyes. "I guess you're right."

Fang eyed him for a moment before placing her hand on his shoulder. "That's not what you're really worried about, is it? Come on. Tell me all your problems and I'll make 'em go away, I promise."

Konnor chuckled lightly at that before looking away. "It's just... What if it's not the right decision? What if we hate each other once we're living together?"

"Do you love her?"

"Yes, but what if—"

"You love her," Fang insisted gently, cutting through his words. "That's all that matters now, Konnor. You two've been together for ages. You're not gonna stop loving each other now. It doesn't work that way."

"Sometimes it does." Konnor pointed out, "I've met some really bitter spouses."

Fang shook her head. "I can't imagine you two like that. You're perfect for each other."

"_You're_ the ones who are perfect for each other," Konnor motioned to Vanille's sleeping form as a faint smile grew on his face. "I love that you're together."

"We are pretty perfect, aren't we?" Fang smiled warmly down at the girl lying at her side. "She's the one who's perfect. I'm just lucky to have her."

"You're both perfect for each other," Konnor corrected gently.

"You know, I'd marry Vanille in a second if I thought the priests would let us," Fang admitted, running her fingertips gently over Vanille's arm. "We don't need to though, 'cause I know we'll be together forever. We're soul mates."

Konnor looked reassured. "You know, I bet Milla's my soul mate."

"Of course, she is. That's what I've been trying to tell you," Fang replied with a firm nod. "That's why the two of you will be completely fine."

The two of them chatted for a while longer, but eventually they decided that it would be best for the groom to get at least some sleep before the ceremony. Konnor curled up on his own side of the room, leaving Fang to crawl under the blankets with Vanille and wrap her arms around her waist. The younger girl stirred briefly, leaning forwards to press a sleepy kiss upon Fang's lips, before the two of them nuzzled against each other and drifted into peaceful dreams.

Xxx

Everyone woke up around midday, and Vanille left quickly so that Fang and the others could begin the preparation rituals that both the groom and the bride would experience that morning. The day began with a rather amusing but extremely sacred ceremony in which Konnor had to endure being bathed in sacred oils by his groomsmen and the priest who would be officiating the ceremony. Fang could not help but laugh at the unpleasant looks on everyone's faces as they used sponges to wash Konnor's entire body, aside from his "sacred area," which was only for his bride to see and had been washed by himself behind a screen. It was a little funny in Fang's opinion that she was the only one who was not uncomfortable giving Konnor the sponge bath, since she thought of him as her brother and thought that was something a sibling might do if their brother or sister was sick or in need.

"These ointments will ensure that you have a successful marriage," the robed priest explained with a nod as he continuously stirred the herbal concoction, only pausing when the groomsmen and Fang needed to dip their sponges into the liquid. "It will remain on your skin until the next time that you bathe, and it will promote the blessing of all the gods, including Anima, our patron fal'Cie. If you are lucky, the fal'Cie will visit your marriage bed—figuratively, of course—to give the two of you your first child."

Konnor seemed to flush at that. "A child already? Give us time to settle in!"

The priest twittered with amusement as Fang cut in, "Don't you wanna have kids when you're still good and young? Otherwise, you'll be an old man before they've even hit puberty."

"I'm not that old now," Konnor protested.

"I dunno. Seventeen's pretty old to get married in this village," Fang teased, even though it was not actually abnormal when most married between sixteen and twenty. "Besides, you're such a good person that I wouldn't be surprised if the gods had already blessed you with a child before you even reached your wedding night."

"That is impossible." The priest smiled at Fang as though she were very innocent. "A husband and wife must lie together in order to conceive a child."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot Konnor and Milla never do _that_," Fang replied sarcastically, a smirk covering her features.

"Can't you just be quiet while you're washing me?" Konnor demanded with a grin.

When the bath was finally finished, those in the groom's party were convinced that their awkward encounter had ended, but then they were told what they had to do next. Their job would be to paint inscriptions all over Konnor's body with paint that would elevate the senses both spiritually and physically and ensure a prosperous marriage with abundant children.

The black paint was warm and sticky, making everyone but the priest feel uncomfortable. Even Fang was unable to stop cracking jokes the entire time, because otherwise the silence would force her to acknowledge that it was uncomfortable to rub swirls of paint all over someone's oily skin while they lay on a table wearing nothing but a loincloth. She had never before wondered how brides and grooms acquired all the intricate markings painted on their bodies even though she had attended many ceremonies.

By the time the rituals were finished, Konnor was fully prepared and Fang clapped her hand on his shoulder, teasing, "Hey, after that, the actual ceremony'll be a breeze."

Konnor snorted at that, nodding. "No one ever told me it'd be so uncomfortable. It'd be way better if they could get some girls to paint the markings on."

Fang laughed, joking playfully, "Don't let Milla hear that or you may not have such a happy marriage after all."

Konnor smiled at her before taking a deep breath. "This is it. It's time for the ceremony."

Noting that he was still nervous, Fang wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "It'll be over before you know it, and then you've got permission to sneak away with Milla as much as you want and even her father won't stop you." When Konnor looked pleased, Fang added with a chuckle, "Now, there's a thought, huh?"

Konnor nodded, taking a step forwards. "I'm ready."

"We better hurry then."

A warm feeling filled the dark-haired Gran Pulsian as she followed behind her friend, because she knew that Konnor had wanted a family for so long and now that he would be married, he could have children and rebuild what he had lost so long ago. The blacksmith had already taken the role as a father-figure to him, healing the hurt that he had faced so many years ago, and now Milla would join him in the next chapter of his life.

Fang was glad that she would see him happier than ever before, and she did not fear that married life would steal him away from her because she knew that the two of them would be best friends until their dying breaths, brother and sister by the mandate of their souls, and eternal companions who would see each other through anything that came to pass for the rest of their lives.

Xxx

A fire blazed high in the center of the village. Both Konnor and Milla's guests stood around one side of the fire in the shape of a crescent moon so that they would be able to see both the bride and the groom while the priests stood in their traditional robes on the opposite side of the fire in a similar crescent. Their arms were raised to the sky as they chanted quietly, practically in trance as several drummers raised energy from all sides of the fire.

Fang followed Konnor to one side of the fire, noticing that the audience consisted of the other groomsmen, many matrons from the orphanage, a lot of the people that they had grown up with, Vanille, and the entirety of Milla's family. Milla had not yet arrived to the fire, because it was tradition that the groom would arrive first and the two of them would stand to the left and to the right of the flames, their backs to each other, while they spoke their vows to the priest officiating the ceremony. Then they would meet each other in front of the flames.

Konnor breathed nervously, feeling the priests watching him from one side and the guests watching him from the other side.

"Don't worry about a thing," Fang murmured gently, a playful gleam in her eyes. "Just think about how awkward this morning was and be glad you've only gotta go through it once."

Konnor smiled faintly at that. "Does the groom usually speak his vows first or the bride?"

"Sometimes it changes, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Fang felt the heat of the flames against her back. "With any luck, the vows'll go quick. You didn't write anything flowery, did ya?"

"Do people sometimes do that?" Konnor raised his brows. "I just memorized the traditional ones."

"I bet Milla did, too." Fang added teasingly, "You're both just so practical."

"It's not like anyone but you and the priest will really be able to hear us," Konnor replied with a shrug. "This is torture. I just want the priest to come over so the ceremony can start."

"Then you have your wish, Konnor." The priest suddenly appeared in front of them, a warm smile on his face. "I can tell that you're nervous, but this ceremony is quick and painless. The oils were more difficult to endure."

"See? I told ya." Fang grinned.

The priest looked at her for a moment, a little perplexed that she was the witness, before reaching out to clasp Konnor's hands. When the energy seemed to pulse between them, the priest said, "Konnor, speak your vows and Anima and all the gods will hear them."

Konnor gulped nervously, nodding. "If Milla agrees to marry me today, I swear to love and to care for her, to hold and to protect her, and to provide for her always. I will never stray, and I will raise any children she gives me with love and kindness. Together, the two of us will build a home and keep it. We will share it between the two of us, and we will share our hearth with anyone in need. As virtuous citizens, we will always do our part. Finally, I will hold my wife dear and in high esteem forever."

Fang mused that the vows were a mouthful, but for once she was able to hold her tongue.

"Do you truly swear to uphold the oath that you have just made?"

"I truly swear."

"Do you love Milla?"

"I truly do."

"Then I grant you the sacred rite to marry Milla." The priest turned to Fang with a peculiar smile, and she knew that he did not sit well with the break in tradition. "Do you, Yun Fang, as Konnor's witness, swear to aid him whenever he is in need so that he may uphold these vows?"

"I swear." Fang placed her hand on Konnor's shoulder. "I'll never let him do anything he'd regret."

"Then I accept your pledge to support Konnor."

The priest dipped his fingers into a paint-filled bowl and drew a red circle on Konnor's forehead to compliment the dark swirls of paint that already covered him. He drew the same mark on Fang's forehead.

"The two of you are bound by these oaths. Konnor, you are bound to be a good husband, and Fang, you are bound to do all that you can to help Konnor to that end. You may now move around the fire to meet Milla and her witness."

Konnor and Fang obeyed, and the moment that they walked around the fire, a grin split across Konnor's face when he saw Milla draped in a traditional marriage robe of gorgeous, skillfully-woven silks. His bride seemed illuminated by his look of approval and lowered her eyes as a shy smile covered her face.

Fang noticed that both Milla and her witness had blue circles painted on their foreheads.

The priests, who were still chanting, moved around the fire so that they were creating a circle with their arms outstretched toward each other, but they did not impede the guests' view of Konnor and Milla. Fang and the bride's witness, Milla's older sister Siva, each stepped back and placed one hand on the right shoulders of Konnor and Milla respectively. At that same moment, Konnor and Milla each placed their right hand over each other's hearts and smiled lovingly as they stared into each other's eyes.

The officiating priest stood before them, his back to the flames, and held a sacred book in one hand. He waved his free hand in front of them as he looked up to the sky.

"The two of you have given your vows, and your witnesses now place their hands upon your shoulders to reinforce that they will never allow you to stray or to break the oath that they heard." The priests voice was deep and powerful. "By the power vested in me, I bind the two of you under the sun and all the stars. You must now kiss to seal the bond between you, and then you will follow the priests to perform the dance of the sun and the moon."

Konnor and Milla grinned at each other before leaning forwards to share a chaste kiss. Watching them, Fang could not help but cheer, even though it was inappropriate, and in the distance she was positive that she heard Head Matron Solstice sigh.

Finally, the priests began to sway around the fire in half-circles, twisting in one direction and then turning in the other. Konnor and Milla linked arms and mimicked them, their movements careful and practiced for the purpose of the ceremony. Fang and Siva followed them, dancing alone, and then the other groomsmen and bridesmaids did the same. While the dance celebrated the bride and the groom, it also represented the support of all who joined in. Eventually, as tradition held, all the guests began to dance around the fire. Couples who were not married were not to perform the dance with their arms linked, but Fang and Vanille still danced at each other's sides, spinning close to each other and teasing each others movements as they laughed.

The dance around the fire continued until the priest rung a bell that caused everyone to begin to march through the village, still dancing, in a parade of support behind Konnor and Milla, who danced toward the house that had been raised for the two of them. When they finally stood before the lovely blue house, Konnor picked up his bride, grinned at everyone, and carried her into the house.

Many of the men, including Milla's father, and Fang, in spite of her gender, hooted and cheered after them, causing both newlyweds to blush and laugh as they closed the door behind them.

When the door was shut, the dancing slowly came to an end and the drumming ceased. The priests moved away from the crowd, no doubt to put out the fire before returning to Anima's temple, and the crowd began to disperse. Eventually only Fang and Vanille remained, and the older girl grinned down at the younger girl.

"Let's go back to the orphanage," Vanille suggested with an enchanted smile. "After the ceremony, I feel so happy."

"Now, why would we do a thing like that?" Fang inquired teasingly, a smirk flitting across her features as she stepped forwards and tugged Vanille into her arms. "If Konnor's gonna have a fun night, I don't see why we should be any different."

Vanille giggled and hugged Fang tightly, burrowing into her arms. "But don't you have to get up early to hunt?"

"Yeah, but I've always gotta do that," Fang replied with a smile as she hugged her close. "Besides, I'm feeling all mushy after that ceremony."

"You?" Vanille teased as she nuzzled against her.

Fang merely nodded, resting her cheek against the top of Vanille's head as a warm sensation fluttered within her.

Whether or not the priests would even consider allowing the two of them to be joined as Konnor and Milla had, Fang decided right at that moment that the next time they attended a wedding, they would dance with their arms linked. The two of them were together for life, and everyone in the village was just going to have to accept that.

Xxx

The day after the wedding ceremony, the father of the bride would traditionally host a feast for the newlyweds. Even though such an event had fallen out of common practice, Milla's father was quite wealthy and was truly pleased by his daughter's wedding, so in the morning a messenger traveled to many houses and to the orphanage in order to invite everyone to celebrate the joining of his daughter and new son-in-law. Fang had known that she would not be able to join the others in their festivities until late at night, but when it had seemed like she would not make it back at all, she had convinced Chief Torren and the other hunters that the party would be much more fun than spending time tracking animals in the woods.

Upon arriving at the party, Fang was happy to see that Vanille had kept herself occupied by spending time with Evi and some of the other girls and boys her age. Konnor, for his part, was also quite busy, lingering close to his wife. It was clear from the way that they kept grinning at each other and brushing their hands together that they were still glowing from the ceremony and all that had followed.

Fang encountered Vanille on her way to Konnor's side, so she hugged the other girl close and took the time to ask how her day had been. They chatted about Fang's hunt and Vanille's escapades with the village jeweler before she promised the younger girl that she would return to her shortly and continued on her trek toward Konnor and Milla.

When she reached them, Milla was mingling with some of her father's friends, so Fang tugged Konnor aside and grinned at him, clapping her hand on his shoulder.

"So, was the wedding night as amazing as they always make it sound?" Fang smirked playfully. "I heard a rumor people could hear in the next house over."

"You didn't hear that," Konnor replied with a laugh. "I won't tell you anything about our wedding night, since you're just making fun of me, but I will say that my head's still spinning from all of this. I have to get used to calling Milla my wife."

"You're happy though?" Fang eyed him carefully.

"I'm happier than I've ever been," he assured her with an enchanted smile. "She's perfect, Fang. I couldn't have found someone better."

Fang squeezed his shoulder, smiling warmly. "I'm glad you're happy, and I can't wait 'til the two of you start popping out kids. I wanna be Auntie Fang."

"Ugh, you and Milla's mother should get together and talk about it," Konnor replied with a wry chuckle. "She's already asked Milla if it feels like last night was successful, but how could we know if she was pregnant so soon afterwards?"

Fang snickered at that. "Well, children are pretty cute, so you can't really blame her for wanting some more around. Of course, all they do is eat and poop and cry when they're little, but the grandmother—or the auntie, for that matter—don't have to deal with that."

Konnor seemed amused by her statement and the two of them chatted for a while before Milla returned to Konnor's side, touching his arm. When they began staring lovingly into each other's eyes, Fang knew that it was time to make her exit, so she reminded Konnor that she was very happy for him before turning around to look for Vanille.

Fang had barely taken ten steps away from Konnor and his bride when a figure moved imposingly into her path. She raised her brows at the girl standing before her, noticing that her eyes were narrowed and her arms were crossed, and tried very hard to place her identity. This girl was familiar to her, but she had not seen her in so long...

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Yun Fang," the girl snapped coldly.

Realization flooded Fang and she internally sighed. "Hi, Aria. Your hair's different. I didn't recognize you."

"That doesn't matter," Aria huffed impatiently, her posture rigid as she took a step closer. "Why are you still living in the orphanage?"

Fang stared coolly back at her, a frown crossing her lips because she was unsure how to respond without knowing what Vanille did and did not want her to reveal to the other girl. "Well, as far as I know, I don't have to leave until I'm eighteen. I've got a little while yet."

"You didn't answer my question, but it doesn't matter because I know why you're there anyway." Aria nearly growled. "It's because of Vanille, isn't it? You like curling up with her at night, right? When you were a kid, no one noticed because it wasn't strange, but now I can see it so clearly and everyone else can, too. I don't know why no one does anything about it, so I'll be the one to rescue Vanille. I won't let you ruin her reputation. It's not fair what you're doing to her just because you're..._strange_, and that's the kind way to put it."

Fang's gaze hardened rather quickly, but her voice remained calm if not icy. "Look, Aria, I understand that you're concerned about Vanille, but this is a party. Let's all just celebrate Konnor's wedding and leave it at that."

"We could be celebrating Vanille's wedding if it weren't for you," Aria snapped angrily, her voice rising shrilly. "You're holding her back, trying to keep her all to yourself because you're sick. You don't know how to be a girl, so you decided to be a boy instead, but leave Vanille out of it!"

"I dunno what you're talking about." Fang narrowed her eyes, her voice teetering on anger even though she attempted to guard it. "But I think this conversation's over now."

"No, it isn't, because I hate you for what you're doing to her. Even if no one else sees the way you act around her, the way you obsess over her... It's absolutely disgusting!"

"That's enough, Aria."

Aria jumped, her eyes wide, and turned to find Vanille standing behind her with a troubled look on her face. Lowering her eyes, she exclaimed, "Vanille, I'm sorry that you have to hear any of this, but you have to accept that Fang has inappropriate feelings for you. Everyone can see it."

Vanille crossed her arms, gathering the strength inside of her as she replied angrily, "Fang's feelings for me aren't inappropriate, and neither are my feelings for her."

"W-What?" Aria's eyes widened in horror because she could not believe what she was hearing. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the rumors are true." Vanille shifted uncomfortably on her heels under the betrayed gaze of her friend. "Fang and I _are_ together. We care about each other. I never want to be with anyone besides her. So, even if you think it's wrong or sick or disgusting, it's none of your business. Just leave Fang alone!"

Fang stared cautiously between the two of them, partially pleased that Vanille had openly admitted that they were together and partially fearful for the other girl because she could sense that their friendship was about to end.

Aria, for her part, looked as though she might simply explode. Her face was completely red and her fists were clenched, but her eyes were wide with confusion like she simply could not believe it. Her mouth kept trying to form words that just would not come out. Finally, she settled on, "Vanille, I can't believe I ever called someone like you a friend!"

As Aria stomped away from the party, Fang noticed tears forming in Vanille's eyes and stepped forward with a sigh to wrap her arms around the younger girl. Vanille nuzzled into her embrace, grateful for the support that she offered, and sighed sadly.

"I'm proud of you," Fang murmured into her ear as she rested the top of her head against Vanille's. "You didn't have to tell her."

"I don't want to hide anything anymore," Vanille replied with a reassuring smile as she wiped away her tears and wrapped her arms around Fang's neck. "I already knew she wouldn't wanna be friends with me anymore. I'm just glad not everyone else agrees."

Fang ran her fingers up and down Vanille's back, staring into her eyes as a faint smile grew on her face. "You don't wanna hide anymore?"

Vanille shook her head, smiling at her, before she stood on her tiptoes and tugged Fang down by the neck. Their lips came together gently, and Fang pulled her closer, grinning into a slightly more passionate kiss.

Silence grew around them as the other's noticed. Aria's fight with Fang had been too quiet for anyone to pay attention, but it was impossible for anyone to ignore them in that moment.

Chief Torren smiled warmly as he watched the two of them for a moment before he raised his glass above his head and cheered loudly. Head Matron Solstice and the other matrons were the next group to join in, raising their glasses in toast and clapping their hands together. Soon the entire party, including Milla and her family members, were either clapping or cheering for the two of them.

Fang and Vanille broke apart, both grinning, and Vanille felt so shy that she buried her face in Fang's shoulder.

The older girl hid her own flush by smirking at everyone as she demanded teasingly, "Not that the applause wasn't nice, but do you mind? Poor Vanille's all embarrassed."

"Fang!" The younger girl protested, pulling back to look at her with an even darker flush.

Chief Torren and the others all laughed before tipping their cups to the two girls and turning away. Their pleasant conversations continued and only Konnor seemed to continue looking at them, meeting eyes with Fang as he grinned ear-to-ear. He was just as pleased as the two of them that they had the support of almost everyone.

Vanille snuggled into Fang's arms, sighing against her shoulder, and giggled happily. "I'm glad not everyone feels like Aria does."

"It'd be stupid for anyone to feel that way, since we're perfect for each other," Fang replied as she placed a gentle kiss on Vanille's temple.

The younger girl nodded, pulling back to look at her, and the two of them laughed as they leaned in for another kiss.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! I don't know when Fang's birthday is, so for the purposes of my stories it will be mid-summer. Also, I am super crunched for time lately, so this one was written a little fast. Hopefully there aren't too many mistakes. As a warning, The Simple Life is drawing to a close. There will only be one more chapter and an epilogue, but I do plan to write more Fanille fanfics. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and to everyone who left reviews. The support I've received for this story has made me really happy! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and I will try to post the next chapter soon.

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

A pleasant sigh escaped Vanille's lips. She was perched on the window seat in the orphanage lounge, alone but not lonely. The white curtains on either side of her billowed in the warm summer breeze and the sweet morning air caressed her cheeks. Usually mornings were arduous, because Vanille did not enjoy waking up for the breakfast bell or arriving to work on time. However, on that particular morning Fang had awoken her with a sweet and lingering goodbye kiss because she would miss her so much during the day, and Vanille would give anything to awake to that every morning for the rest of her life.

The two of them had been together for a while, but Vanille was quite pleased with the thought that the sweet moments shared between them still left her swooning, her stomach fluttering from the butterflies inside. In fact, as far as she was concerned, every single moment spent with Fang was beyond perfect. There was no word to describe the way that her affection for the other girl had grown. The two of them had always cared for each other, but Vanille was certain that their feelings had changed and evolved into something even more wonderful and indescribable save for equating it with the feeling of sincere completion. Their souls were one.

They did, of course, occasionally have disagreements, but they never really fought, so Vanille knew that nothing would ever come between them.

Knowing that she and Fang would never separate left Vanille feeling more secure and whole than she ever had previously felt. So much had been taken from her in her younger years that she had always been afraid to dream of true happiness, but with Fang in her life, there was no room for fear—except, of course, for the fear that Fang would finally begin to play pranks on her again. The other girl's impish nature made her regression to the antics of her childhood seem inevitable.

Footsteps clicked gently against the floorboards behind her, causing Vanille to glance over her shoulder. Her eyes lit up and her smile grew at the sight of Evi, who had become her best friend over the years. They shared a bond that she thought was much like Fang's relationship with Konnor and generally told each other everything.

"Hi, Vanille." Evi waved her hand as a warm smile blossomed on her features. She pulled up a chair next to the window and seated herself before studying the pink-haired girl curiously. "What're you doing here? I thought you'd be at the jeweler's."

"She let me leave early today because we didn't have many customers," Vanille explained pleasantly, resting her head against the window frame and looking outside. "What about you? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I have the day off today, remember? I dunno why, but I'm not gonna argue." Evi giggled.

Vanille grinned teasingly. "I bet you'd like to have every day off, wouldn't you? You're so lazy."

"Well, not everyone gets to sit around making necklaces all day," Evi huffed playfully.

Their banter went on until they sunk into pleasant silence and Evi stared at Vanille for a long time, a thoughtful frown growing on her face. The pink-haired girl, who was a year older than her friend, wondered what the other girl could be thinking, but the look on her face made her fearful of asking. Had something happened to Evi or someone that the two of them knew?

"You're in such a good mood," Evi commented suddenly, looking confused.

"What d'you mean?" Vanille blinked in surprise. "I'm always in a good mood."

"Not in the morning," Evi teased with a grin. Sobering, she mumbled, "I know you're usually cheerful, but I thought this once you'd be upset. I mean, it must be sad..."

"What's sad?" Vanille's brows pressed together with worry. "Did something happen?"

Evi shook her head reassuringly. "I just meant about Fang. I thought you'd be more sad, but I guess it's been coming for a long time now."

Vanille's heart rate sped as dread filled her. "What're you talking about, Evi? Did something happen to Fang? I haven't heard anything about her all day..."

"You really don't know what I mean?" Evi studied her for a moment before biting her lip. "Vanille...now that Fang's turned eighteen, she has to leave the orphanage. She had a week to get prepared to leave and look at the house they built for her. Tonight she's leaving."

The pink-haired girl lowered her eyes as she realized that the other girl was right. Confusion sunk into her features. "But..."

When the other girl did not finish, Evi offered pensively, "The matrons were gonna have a party for her, but Fang said no 'cause she thought it'd be too sad."

Vanille was relieved that nothing had happened to Fang, but she was extremely disappointed that the other girl had not mentioned this to her for the entire week. Fang's birthday, which had been celebrated the week before, had been a joyous occasion, but not once had she recalled that it would mean Fang finally had to leave the orphanage. Someone her age was far too old to be living off of anyone but herself.

_Why didn't Fang say anything to me if she's leaving tonight?_ Vanille thought worriedly, her expression growing troubled.

Perhaps her partner just had not wanted to upset her, or perhaps Fang herself did not want to admit that she was leaving. Life would change forever if the two of them no longer shared the same bed or spent their mornings and nights in each other's arms. Gone would be the days when Vanille would briefly awake to Fang's lips brushing her cheek, and the nights where the two of them would hold each other close and speak of what had happened to each of them during the way would be no more. When would Fang find the time to see her if she did not live with her? The other girl usually did not even return to the village until dinner time or later and she was always so exhausted.

What truly upset Vanille, however, remained the fact that Fang had said nothing to her. For the entire week, the older girl had not once mentioned that she would be leaving soon. Even that morning when she had awoken her with the most lovely gesture, she had not bothered to mention that they would not spend another night in the bed that they had shared for as long as Vanille could remember. Did that mean that Fang was not upset?

The insecurity crept inside of Vanille and spread like a painful cancer that tore at her heart.

What if Fang was bored with her? What if the older girl was glad that she was leaving and no longer wanted to spend her life with her? What if she considered her too young or immature now that she was eighteen?

"Vanille?" Evi, who had been trying to speak to her, waved her hand in front of her face. When she had her attention, she inquired gently, "Are you okay?"

The pink-haired girl snapped out of it, realizing that her friend was staring at her. Laughing, Vanille waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, I'm okay. Sorry. I just...I got lost in thought for a second."

"You're worried about something." Evi gently touched her arm. "What's wrong, Vanille? Are you scared of Fang leaving?"

Vanille laughed uncomfortably and looked away. "It's just...it never really mattered that Fang was older than me. When we were younger she gave me a lot of advice and sometimes worried about me way too much, but ever since we've been together, it never really mattered. Now she's eighteen, old enough to move out and live on her own. What if she thinks I'm too little and doesn't want to be with me anymore?"

Evi shook her head, smiling reassuringly as she squeezed her arm. "Vanille, Fang's totally in love with you. You can see it on her face whenever she looks at you."

Biting her lip, Vanille admitted, "She's never said it."

"Never said what?" Evi prompted curiously.

"Fang's never really said she loved me," Vanille whispered nervously, "_And_ she didn't bother to mention that she's leaving tonight. Why would she keep it from me? Why wouldn't she wanna say goodbye?"

"She didn't leave yet," Evi reminded her. "I know Fang cares about you, Vanille, even if she hasn't said it. Besides, it's not like you said it to her and she didn't say it back, right?"

"I guess we just never put it in words," Vanille replied as she shook her head.

"So, maybe she's just nervous like you." Evi smiled warmly. "I know Fang's really brave and seems like she has all the answers, but she never dated when she was younger. You were both too afraid to admit your feelings for each other for so long. So, maybe Fang's just scared to tell you, and maybe she didn't mention leaving because she doesn't want to think about leaving you here."

"M-Maybe..." Vanille smiled faintly. "I hope you're right."

"I bet I am." Evi grinned. "Actually, I know I am. Fang definitely loves you. Anyone would know it if they saw the way she always looks at you."

"You sound so grown up," Vanille complimented gently.

"Well, I _am_ going on my first hunt this year," Evi proclaimed with a smirk. "I'm not scared like you were."

Vanille narrowed her eyes playfully. "Well, I bet you won't kill a bear by yourself with nothing but a binding rod and a dagger either."

"You're probably right." Evi giggled lightheartedly. "I wish I could be so cool."

Although she smiled, Vanille's features sobered quickly as she leaned back against the window frame and stared outside. She knew that it made no sense, but a part of her still worried that Fang had come to terms with saying goodbye to her. Maybe there was some other pretty girl, probably older, who had caught Fang's eye.

"You're still worried, but you shouldn't be." Evi frowned and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "I swear Fang really cares about you. Tonight she'll tell you how she didn't wanna say she was leaving because she doesn't want to go."

"You're probably right," Vanille agreed, forcing a reassuring smile. "I'm just really silly."

Evi watched her for a moment, searching her eyes for sincerity, before she nodded and returned to her seat. She could not stand to see Vanille so upset, so she engaged her in an enticing conversation about the latest jewelry fashion and somehow moved to the proper supplies to bring on her first hunt. Vanille imparted all of the wisdom that Fang had once imparted on her and made Evi believe that she was suitably distracted.

However, Vanille's pleasant smile was nothing but a mask, because she could not help the fear that filled her as she hugged her knees to her chest. It was unlike Fang to keep anything from her, even if she was unhappy. In fact, Fang should have warned her about it several times, pretending that it was no big deal in an attempt to keep Vanille from becoming upset. Then she should've held her in her arms extra tightly because she did not want to go.

No, simply not telling her was not like Fang at all.

Xxx

A few hours passed before Vanille wandered into the dining hall. She was still a little bit depressed, but she had decided that Fang always had a good reason for everything that she did. Resolving that she would wait until she saw Fang next to ask her about leaving and why she had not told her, Vanille had been able to relax for the majority of the morning. While thoughts of Fang leaving had always been in the back of her mind, she had been able to prevent them from completely ruining her mood.

The calm mindset that she had carefully developed as the morning went on fled immediately when Vanille entered the room where everyone shared their meals together and saw Fang sitting with some of the friends that she and Konnor had spent a lot of time with over the years and Mollia. Vanille felt simultaneously annoyed and jealous as she watched the group of them laughing loudly, mostly at things that Fang said, because she wondered why the other girl had not told her that she would be in the orphanage during the lunch hour that day.

Had she not wanted to spend time with her? Maybe she was interested in someone else, someone older and more attractive like Mollia. Did she really care so little about her that she would say nothing to her and then just disappear?

Vanille suddenly felt furious, but she tried to calm down as she reminded herself that those thoughts were only in her mind. Fang had never betrayed her or given her any reason to think that she would do so, so it was unfair to make accusations even if she only thought them in her mind. Fang had been so kind to her over the years, constantly proving that she cared about her and thought about her more than anyone else, and she had never kept a secret from her for long. Surely everything would be explained a little later.

So, why did she feel so afraid to approach the table?

Fang suddenly stood up, balancing her tray in one hand so that she could wave to the others as she grinned at the latest joke that had been made. When the others had bid her goodbye, Fang turned swiftly toward the counter where she could leave her tray and dirty dishes. It was then that her eyes met Vanille's from across the room and a bright grin spread across the dark-haired girl's face.

Fang immediately crossed the room to meet her, the tray still held in one arm, and wrapped her free arm around her waist. "Hey, Vanille. What're you doing here? You said you'd be working through lunch."

Vanille's eyes widened as she realized that that was true and a swell of guilt passed through her as she laughed. It was not that Fang had not wanted to spend time with her. Rather, the other girl had been certain that she would not see her that day.

With a sigh of relief, the younger girl wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and buried her head in her shoulder. "It's good to see you."

"You, too." Fang eyed her suspiciously before resting her cheek against the top of her head. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," Vanille insisted, pulling away and smiling faintly. She did feel hurt that Fang had not told her she was leaving, but she did not really want to confront her. "What're you doing back from your hunt so early?"

"Well, Chief Torren must've hit his head in the woods, 'cause he gave me half the day off. There wasn't much game, so he said I could spend some time back at the orphanage. I've gotta go back pretty soon, but there's no reason we can't sit together for a little while if you want."

Vanille lowered her eyes, feeling a little nervous. "Can we go back to our room and just cuddle for a bit? I just wanna rest with you for a little while."

"Of course." Fang's brows furrowed faintly. "Are you sure everything's fine?"

The younger girl nodded, but in truth she was a little bit irritated that Fang did not know why she was upset. Did she really think that no one would remind Vanille that she was leaving?

"Are you sure?" Fang repeated, still somewhat worried.

"Yes, Fang. I'm fine. Why d'you keep asking?" Vanille forced a bright smile and a giggle hoping that it would be enough to distract her as she pulled away. "Now, hurry up and get rid of your tray. You can't bring that to our room."

"Says who?" Fang teased playfully, leaning forwards to kiss her temple before pulling back. "I'll just be a second."

Vanille nodded and watched the older girl cross the room with a miserable sigh. No matter how much she told herself that it would be good for Fang to have her own house and live like an adult, she simply did not want the other girl to go. They already had to spend enough time apart, and the nervous feelings inside of her were threatening to tear her apart. She could not tell Fang, because the other girl might be annoyed by her concerns. Vanille just could not bear the idea that Fang might think she was trying to guilt her into staying.

When Fang returned to her, she placed her hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Vanille, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine," Vanille insisted, a little exasperated. "I just wanna cuddle. Is that so bad?"

"It's not bad at all," Fang replied as a playful grin grew on her features. She wrapped her arm around Vanille's waist and tugged her toward the door. "It'll be the best part of my day."

Vanille smiled faintly at that and leaned against Fang, hugging her around the waist as they began walking. Closing her eyes as she drifted into her thoughts, she resolved that she would not think about Fang leaving again. It would just depress her and make her afternoon too difficult to bear.

It was just so hard to imagine not sharing her bed with Fang. Vanille could still remember their first night together. Fang had been resistant, telling the matrons that she was too old to babysit some crybaby who couldn't sleep just because she had stupid nightmares. However, somehow in the night the two children had tangled together, and Fang had not awoken even when Vanille kicked her several times in her sleep. Vanille had awoken wrapped in the security of Fang's arms, her face pressed into the other girl's chest, and in that moment she had realized that Fang would be the one to take care of her. She had been too little to take anything romantic from the situation, but in retrospect she understood how Head Matron Solstice had always known that they would be together.

"Here we are," Fang announced as they reached the bedroom, snapping Vanille out of her thoughts.

The younger girl felt a little disoriented as she recalled where she was, but it did not take her long to climb onto the bed and curl up on her side. With a grin, she looked to Fang, putting her hands out to her. With a chuckle, Fang took her hands and allowed the younger girl to tug her onto the bed where the two of them immediately wrapped their arms around each other and each held the other close.

"I missed you all morning," Vanille murmured gently as she nuzzled her cheek against Fang's chest. She tried to hide it, but she was feeling insecure.

"I wish I'd known you weren't working," Fang murmured gently as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Vanille nodded and sighed, tightening her hold on Fang as she cuddled against her. Her mind was overwhelmed by the thought that that might be their last time holding each other in that bed, but she tried to push the thoughts away. She was only partially successful, causing her to grip Fang's sari tightly as she pressed against her.

"Nothing's wrong, right?" Fang murmured as she kissed her cheek. "'Cause if you're sad about something, you should tell me so I can make you feel better."

Vanille felt even angrier at those words, since she thought it was cruel of Fang to act as though nothing should be bothering her. No matter what Fang was feeling at the moment, she should at least be able to understand how much Vanille did not want her to leave.

"I'm fine, Fang," Vanille mumbled, adopting the position that if Fang was going to pretend nothing was going on, she would pretend as well. "I just want you to hold me."

Fang smiled warmly at that as she ran her hands up Vanille's back. "Well, you never have to ask for that. Holding you's my favorite thing to do."

In spite of her heightened emotional state, Vanille felt very pleased by that statement and pulled back just enough to look into Fang's eyes, a grin covering her face. When their eyes met, they both laughed before leaning forwards all at once. Their lips collided in the middle, kisses soft and warm, and Fang ran her fingertips up the backs of Vanille's arms, causing her to sigh contentedly as they leaned into each other.

Their kisses went on until a bell tolling in the center of the village led Fang to realize that she was rather late for her return to the other hunters. With a sheepish look, the older girl kissed Vanille goodbye, told her that she would see her later that night, and then raced out the door.

Vanille stared after her for a long time, her eyes settling on the wall outside of her open bedroom door, before she turned and buried her face in the pillow that still smelled of Fang. A faint smile worked its way onto her lips as she tried to remind herself that just because Fang was leaving did not mean that the two of them would never see each other again.

Some bonds were stronger than all obstacles put before them.

xxx

Vanille entered the dining hall for dinner that night and felt immensely disappointed that Fang was not there. A part of her feared that her partner had already moved into her new home without telling her that she was leaving, but that thought was completely illogical. All of Fang's things were still in their room, which meant that the other girl would have no choice but to return and pack. Similarly, Fang had to know that that would lead to a confrontation between herself and Vanille in which she would have to admit that she was leaving and hopefully explain why she had not told her sooner.

Doubting that she could actually bear the sight of Fang packing up all her things, Vanille spent as much time as possible at dinner that night. She was nearly glued to Evi's side, causing her friend to take note of her discomfort and attempt to tell her as many funny stories as she could think of. Some of her other friends also engaged her in conversations about jewelry and her plans for the future in terms of her career.

Eventually all of her friends wanted to leave, and Vanille could not remain in the dining hall by herself, so she finally dragged herself out of the room and walked toward her bedroom in search of beads or something else to do. There was no knowing when Fang would return from her hunt, and it was not as though the matrons would force her to leave by a certain time, so Vanille would have no choice but to wait for her as she hoped that the matrons had the sense not to force her to share her bed with someone else.

As Vanille came closer to her bedroom, a downcast feeling heavy on her heart, she heard a strange rustling sound from behind the closed door. Her lips pursed as she wondered briefly if someone was robbing her or her roommates, but then she decided that that was unlikely. Even still, she pushed the door open rather abruptly, hoping to startle them if whoever it was had tried to play a prank.

Fang looked up at the door, surprised, before a smile spread across her face. "What're you in such a hurry for? You scared me, throwing the door open like that."

Vanille's eyes widened as she realized that Fang was crouched on the floor in front of the closet as she packed all of her things into a large suitcase. She had expected that Fang would look guilty or attempt to apologize for keeping her in the dark, but the other girl looked pleased to see her as though she did not realize that she had kept an important secret from her.

In the midst of her confused and desperate feelings, all Vanille could manage was, "A-Are you taking a trip?"

Fang shook her head, shrugging indifferently. "Nope. I'm eighteen, so I've gotta move out. Tonight's my last night, so I'm packing."

Vanille's lips grew thin as she tried to figure out why Fang did not care at all that she was leaving. Trying to control her emotions so that the other girl would not know she was upset, Vanille inquired gently, "So, they gave you a house?"

"Yep. It's a real nice one, too. I'm pretty excited." Fang's eyes were glued to the clothes she was folding and pressing into her suitcase and a pleasant smile lingered on her features. "There're three rooms, and there's a porch. There's even an attic for storage. Can you believe that? It's furnished, too. Chief Torren probably thought I'd just lounge around on the floor if they left me to pick out my own stuff."

"That's great," Vanille exclaimed, trying to sound excited even though her tone fell flat. "I'm happy for you."

"No, you're not," Fang teased as she closed her suitcase and stood up.

Fang crossed the room and paused in front of Vanille, chuckling as she tugged the smaller girl into her arms and held her closer. Vanille wrapped her arms tightly around her, not wanting to admit that she did not want her to go but unable to hide her feelings.

Fang kissed her cheek before murmuring in her ear, "Admit it. You're hoping my house burns down right now so I have to stay."

"Fang, I would _never_ want your house to burn down. And I swear I'm happy for you," Vanille insisted with a gasp. "You work really hard, so you deserve a nice furnished house. Hunting is really dangerous, and you're so brave, and we all need food...so it just makes sense. You deserve this."

"That's true." Fang kissed her forehead and ran her fingers down her back. "I am a hard worker, and I do deserve a nice house."

Vanille pressed against her, snuggling into her warmth as she held her tightly. With a miserable sigh, she whispered, "I'll be okay."

"Sure you will," Fang replied cheerfully as she squeezed her extra tightly before releasing her.

"Fang, are you really so happy you're leaving?" Vanille pouted sadly and hugged herself.

"I just think things'll be better this way," Fang informed her with a playful gleam in her eyes.

Vanille crossed her arms and stared at her for a moment before demanding, "What's going on? You're hiding something from me."

"I dunno what you're talking about." Fang grinned widely. "I'm just being my normal self."

The dark-haired girl crouched on the ground in front of her suitcase and closed it. She tied it shut tightly before she pulled the armoire open and dragged out another suitcase. Setting it on the ground, she began going through the drawers as though looking for more things, which confused Vanille, who did not understand why Fang needed so much luggage for the few possessions that she had accumulated over the years.

Eventually, Fang turned to look at her, placing her hands on her hips. "Well?"

Vanille blinked and shifted uncomfortably, feeling very vulnerable. "What is it?"

"What're you waiting for?" Fang nodded her head toward the second suitcase and was unable to keep from grinning. "We'll never be out of here before they give up our room unless you hurry up. Head Matron Solstice already found someone to replace us, since this room's pretty nice compared to some of the other ones."

Vanille stared at her, unable to register the words she had just spoken. "What're you talking about?"

Fang laughed and crossed the room, pausing in front of her and cupping the sides of her face in her hands. Shaking her head, she murmured, "You didn't really think I'd leave without you? I thought you had more faith in me than that."

A gasp escaped Vanille and her lips curved into a timid smile, her heart skipping a beat. "Fang...you mean I should come live with you?"

"Yeah, that's what I mean." Fang grinned teasingly, wrapping her arms around Vanille's waist and tugging her into her embrace. She pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, bringing their foreheads together as she assured her, "Vanille, I'd never leave you behind, not ever. No house could ever be my home without you there. Don't you know that by now?"

As she buried herself in Fang's arms, Vanille thought that she might actually begin to cry. "Fang, I-I didn't know you were gonna ask me to come with you. When you didn't say anything, I thought you were just gonna leave me behind. I was so scared about what it meant, and then you were just packing... But this is so wonderful...I..."

The rest of Vanille's words were so jumbled together that Fang could not even understand her as she laughed and held the younger girl against her. "You know, it's really a pain trying to surprise you."

"You could've said you were going and still surprised me," Vanille huffed, though she was so pleased that she could not sound sincerely upset.

"Well, _you_ could've trusted that I'd never just leave without saying anything to you," Fang replied with a grin as kissed her forehead. Pulling back to look at her, she added, "Don't you know how much I love you, Vanille?"

"I do now," Vanille replied as a tear trickled down her face and a grin illuminated her features. "I love you, too, Fang. I really do."

Fang wiped the tear tenderly away, looking touched by the emotional display, and leaned forwards to share a long kiss with her. As she broke away, she pressed her forehead to Vanille's and murmured playfully, "Now, hurry up and pack. You've gotta see our house. It's gorgeous."

Vanille giggled happily at the way that Fang had called it _their_ house and stood on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around the other girl's neck. Pecking her cheek, she exclaimed excitedly, "I'll pack quickly, I swear!"

Fang laughed lightly and wrapped her arms more securely around Vanille's waist, refusing to allow her to break away just for a moment.

"Fang," Vanille giggled as she cuddled against her, "I thought you wanted me to pack."

"I thought so, too, but then I realized I just wanted to hold you," Fang replied with a teasing look as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Vanille cooed as she snuggled against her shoulder. "I think you're right, Fang. This moment should last a little while longer."

Fang nodded, kissing the top of her head. "It's like I say all the time. Moments like this are perfect. I can't help but want 'em to last forever."

Vanille found herself unable to stop grinning as all of her dreams for their future seemed a bit more tangible than they had an hour ago. The idea of living with Fang was more than a dream come true. It was like the final piece of the puzzle, the little piece of heaven that would bring everything in her life together.

Xxx

After Vanille had finished packing all her things and scurrying excitedly around the orphanage to tell all her friends that she was leaving, wish them goodbye, and promise then that she would visit, Vanille finally returned to her room for the last time. Fang was waiting for her, leaning lazily against the bedpost with an amused grin on her features.

"Took you long enough," Fang teased with a grin.

"I had a lot of friends to say goodbye to," Vanille replied with a teasing smile. "Unlike you."

Fang laughed lightly at that, since she knew that Vanille was just teasing. "I already said goodbye to all my friends, and it didn't take _me_ an hour to pack."

"Beads are really delicate," Vanille protested with a smile as she crossed the room to press against Fang, her arms wrapping around her waist. "I had to wrap them all."

Fang nodded, running her fingers tenderly through Vanille's hair. "I already checked to make sure we didn't forget anything, so we can go if you want."

Vanille nodded, glancing over her shoulder to look around the room.

"Will you miss this place a lot?" Fang inquired gently as she brushed some hairs behind her ear.

"I think so." Vanille nodded thoughtfully before grinning at Fang. "But I can't wait to live with you either. It'll be just us."

"Yeah." Fang winked. "We'll have all the privacy we want."

Vanille giggled at those words. "The house is really pretty?"

Fang nodded enthusiastically. "Gorgeous. It's not far away, so let's go. You're really gonna love it. It's perfect for us."

The pink-haired girl nodded excitedly and gently pulled away from her.

Fang caught her arm as she was trying to turn around and tugged her back with a grin. "Wait a minute. We forgot one thing."

"What?" Vanille blinked in confusion.

Smiling warmly, Fang leaned forwards and pressed a lingering kiss on Vanille's lips. The two of them held together for a moment before breaking apart, and Fang sighed happily as she mumbled, "There we go. We couldn't leave without having one last kiss here."

Vanille giggled since Fang was not usually so openly sentimental. "Are you ready now?"

With a nod, Fang stepped forwards to pick up both of their suitcases. She made a face as she lifted Vanille's and teased, "What'd you put in here? I can barely lift it."

"Fang, I could lift it fine," Vanille replied with another giggle. "So, I know you're lying."

"Says who? You _are_ freakishly strong for a girl your size," Fang replied with a light chuckle as she turned and began to walk out the door.

"Am not," Vanille replied with a smile.

As she followed Fang out of the orphanage, waving goodbye to everyone that they passed, Vanille wondered how lovely the house must really be if Fang was certain that she would like it. She practically skipped through the village, unconcerned with the way that dusk had already fallen as she fantasized about flowers and decorations. Whether or not the house was already exactly how she wanted it to be, she planned on adding her own flair. Designing her own house had always been one of her dreams, probably because her mother had made lovely blankets and tablecloths.

"This is so exciting!" Vanille gasped suddenly, nearly spinning around as she glanced at Fang. "We're grown ups now."

Fang laughed lightly. "Haven't we been grown ups since our first hunts?"

"Yeah, but now we're _really_ grown ups. We're gonna have our own house, Fang," Vanille squealed happily, clapping her hands together. "I can't wait to see it."

"It's really close," Fang replied with an amused grin.

Fang led Vanille through the center of the village and the two of them walked until they were about fifteen minutes from the orphanage. They finally stopped in front of a gorgeous structure, causing Vanille to gasp in disbelief. The one-story house had been painted in earthy greens and blues and the roof was slanted to keep the rain out. The house itself was a square, but knowing that there were three whole rooms inside and a small attic for storage left Vanille feeling as though she had married into money. Fang _was_ a hunter, which meant that she would have anything that she needed, but Vanille had never realized how generous the villagers could be. Similarly, although she and Fang could not marry, Vanille thought that they were exactly like spouses aside from the fact that they could not conceive.

"See all that dirt on the sides of the house?" Fang pointed in front of her as she grinned down at Vanille. "There's about ten different kinds of flowers planted there for you to take care of and use however you like."

Vanille beamed happily. "Fang, you had them plant a garden for me?"

Fang nodded as she set one of the suitcases in the grass and wrapped her arm around Vanille. Kissing her temple, she murmured, "I know you'll still run into the woods all the time, but this'll make me feel better when I'm gone. If there're flowers here, I can pretend you won't go that far into the woods and then I won't worry so much."

"You shouldn't worry about me, Fang," Vanille protested with a pout. "I'm always very careful, and if you worry about me too much on a hunt, you could get distracted and hurt."

Fang merely laughed at that as she ran her fingers up and down Vanille's arm. The younger girl snuggled against her, embracing her around the waist.

"We both worry too much," Fang exclaimed gently as she rested the top of her head against Vanille's. "Let's go inside. It's nice in there, too."

Vanille nodded excitedly, releasing Fang and picking up the suitcase that the other girl had placed on the ground. It was a little heavy, but she had felt guilty that Fang had had to carry everything and wanted to be as helpful as she could. They were partners, now more than ever, and she did not want their burdens to always fall on Fang.

When Fang pushed open the door to the house, she stepped out of the way so that Vanille could go inside first and discover everything for herself. It was a satisfying feeling when she followed her love inside and was able to close and lock the door behind them. They were safe in their own home, and no one could bother them unless they let them inside. At first, she had wondered if anyone would tell her that she and Vanille could not live together because they were not married and Vanille was not too old to live in the orphanage, so the idea that it was completely fine for them to share that house left her almost ecstatic. In fact, the only thing that any of the matrons or Chief Torren had said to her when she brought up her plans to have the younger girl live with her had been 'congratulations to the both of you,' as though they were marrying, and Head Matron Solstice's 'Of course, you'll take her with you. It'd make no sense if you didn't.'

While Fang was lost in thought, Vanille examined the first room in the house with a grin and wide eyes. It was a gorgeous sitting room. There was a bookcase filled with bound parchments, several large and comfortable looking chairs with soft lining and feather cushions, and a bearskin rug that had been spread across the floor. A few tapestries had been hung as decorations, and Vanille could already see where she would put plants on the windowsill. She could already imagine the trinkets that she wanted to purchase or make and where she would like to leave them. Her mission would be to make the room even more homey, and she was extremely pleased by the fireplace on one side of the room, because otherwise they would have had to remain in the kitchen for most of the winter. The end tables around the room were covered in thick candles that should last quite a while, and some pretty vases had already been set around the room.

Vanille grinned as she realized that Fang had probably asked for them because she knew that Vanille would want to fill the house with flowers. A warm feeling filled her as she slipped off her shoes near the door and skipped into the next room.

The kitchen was lovely with a polished wooden floor, a wood-burning stove, a lovely table that had been caved with designs that a hunter might enjoy—most likely a gift from the town carpenter. There were four chairs around the table and cabinets had been built into the walls. There was even a sink to wash the dishes, though Vanille knew that the water would still need to be pumped from the wells around the village. Even a hunter could not expect a pump in her own house.

Just like the other room, Vanille began to make mental notes about where she would like to put what and what touches she would add to make the room as inviting as possible. The hearth was a place where they would entertain dinner guests, so it should be beautiful and tranquil. As her eyes rested on the stove, she mused sheepishly that she would have to learn to cook. Fang would be away a lot, and when she was home, it might be nice to return to a warm meal.

Hopefully Matron Tania would help her learn.

After deciding to ignore the attic for the time being because it was probably dark and dusty, Vanille peeked into the final room of the house. The bedroom had been painted green, a rather relaxing color, and the bed was a little bigger than the one they had shared in the orphanage, fit for two adults. The cushions, pillows and blankets were all fluffy and comfortable and there were two armoires with several drawers. On one side of the room was a small table with a mirror sitting on top of it, propped against the wall. There was even a window seat.

"So, what do you think?" Fang inquired as she leaned against the wall and smirked faintly. "D'you like the house?"

Vanille nodded enthusiastically, turning around to grin at her. "Fang, everything's perfect. I can't wait to decorate it."

Fang laughed at that. "I thought so. Go ahead and change whatever you like. I'll help if you want, but I don't have the best sense for that kind of stuff. I wanted them to paint the house red or something."

Vanille giggled at that and wrapped her arms around Fang's waist, snuggled against her and nuzzling her face into her shoulder. "It's almost dark out, so I'll go light some candles. Will you close the shudders in the other rooms?"

Fang nodded affirmatively, kissing her cheek before walking into the living room and making sure all the windows were covered. Glass was a bit expensive in their village, since they had to buy it from elsewhere, so there was nothing to cover the windows. In order to keep out burglars, not that anyone often stole in their village, houses were generally built with shudders that could be closed and locked.

By the time that Fang was finished, Vanille had lit candles in the bedroom and carried one of them into the kitchen. The warm glow of the bedroom was inviting, but Fang wanted to give Vanille as much time as she wanted to take in their surroundings, so she followed her into the kitchen with a faint smile. The younger girl was looking through the cabinets and gasping in surprise every time that she found a new cup or pot. Obviously she had not known that they would even have shelves already stocked with utensils.

"What's wrong?" Fang teased with a smirk. "Never thought you'd have to cook for yourself?"

Vanille giggled in spite of the faint scowl that covered her face. "I'm just amazed that this is all ours." She bit her lip happily. "_Ours_, Fang. We live together!"

Fang laughed lightly and crossed the room to pull Vanille against her. As she held her close, she murmured, "I always knew we were gonna live together, Vanille. Sorry for not mentioning it this week, but I wanted to surprise you once I figured out you thought I'd just leave."

"I was really scared," Vanille admitted as she nuzzled against Fang's chest and hugged her close. "I thought maybe...you wanted to leave without me."

"I'll never wanna go anywhere without you," Fang insisted gently, her fingers running up and down Vanille's back, her touch gentle and leaving streaks of warmth in their wake.

The two of them held each other for a long time, rocking back and forth in each other's embrace, before Fang finally leaned back and grinned at her. Teasingly, she exclaimed, "Now that we've got our own house, guess what the first thing I wanna do is?"

"What?" Vanille inquired innocently.

"Guess," Fang insisted with a smirk before leaning forwards to kiss her.

Vanille giggled into the passionate kiss as she understood Fang's request, and the two of them melted together, relaxing in each other's embrace as their kisses augmented, lips parting. Fang was the first to deepen their kiss, her tongue stroking Vanille's, and the two of them sighed as they pressed together.

There was no longer any fear of interruption, and they were not in a hurry. Neither had to return to work, and there were no more roommates to interrupt them. Completely relaxed, the rhythm of their kisses began to grow as gentle touches wandered. Vanille pressed herself to Fang, wrapping her arms tightly around her waist to pull her close, and she felt her heart beating faster as her body fluttered in anticipation.

Fang's fingers brushed against Vanille's waistline, stroking her warm, bare skin, and the younger girl shivered against her. The two of them moved backwards together, pressing against the counter, and Fang broke away from their kiss, her lips grazing along Vanille's jawline. Her kisses trailed lower, wet and lingering against the soft skin until she could feel Vanille's heartbeat beneath her lips.

Vanille enjoyed the fluttering sensation of Fang's tongue against her skin, but she wanted to taste her lips again, so she tugged at her sari until the older girl looked at her, her eyes a haze of desire. Vanille brought their lips together fiercely as she placed her hands on Fang's abdomen, fingers slipping beneath her sari to touch the soft black fabric that she wore beneath. A sharp breath seemed to escape Fang as Vanille's fingers moved swiftly over the fabric, and the older girl kissed her harder, her hands following a similar path beneath the pink fabric of Vanille's shirt.

Fang broke away from the kiss a second time, kissing along her jawline before murmuring huskily in her ear, "We better move this to the bedroom, unless you're planning on getting friendly right here where we'll eat breakfast tomorrow."

Vanille giggled throatily at that, taking her time in stalling the movements of her hands. Then finally she replied laboriously, "I _guess_ you're right."

The two of them laughed, their smiles both playful and amused, before Vanille took Fang's hand and quickly tugged her toward the other room. They were only halfway out of the kitchen when Fang tugged Vanille back into her arms and kissed her again, pressing the two of them against the kitchen door. It took them several more pauses to finally reach the bedroom, where Fang kicked the door shut behind them and they moved into the romantic glow of the candles.

They fell onto the bed together, covers kicked aside, and their lips met passionately, bodies pressing together almost desperately. The bearskin skirt and the sari were the first articles tossed to the floor as the steady rhythm grew between them, and Fang's leg pressed between Vanille's thighs as they tugged at each other's shirt, alternating in trailing kisses along each other's necks until they found even sweeter skin.

Fang's fingers trailed slowly up Vanille's inner thigh, causing the shorter girl to shiver as the two of them kissed, and time stalled until there was nothing but the two of them, deeply in love in the glow of the flickering flames.

xxx

A while later the two of them lay wrapped tenderly in each other's arms, faces pressed close together and grins still lingering. Vanille smiled lovingly at Fang before nuzzling against her collarbone. No matter where they had gone to sneak away in the past, there had always been some reason to rush. They had never simply been able to lie together, enjoying the feel of soft, warm skin brushing together. Thus, Vanille had never felt quite so relaxed and safe.

The two of them were going to share their future together. She had never been so sure.

"What're you thinking about?" Fang asked gently, her cheek resting against the top of Vanille's head as she breathed in the sweet scent of her lover's hair.

"I'm just really happy, Fang," Vanille whispered against her neck as she nuzzled close to her. "Everything's perfect now."

Fang grinned as she closed her eyes and held Vanille closer. A blissful sigh escaped her lips and she tugged the covers up to keep the two of them warm as she traced gentle patterns across Vanille's bare back. The younger girl snuggled into her embrace, burying her face in the crook of her neck, and the two of them drifted into dreams of eternity spent together, both with little grins on their faces.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Author's Note: Here's the final full chapter of this fan fiction. I'll be posting the epilogue tonight as well, so I hope you like them both. Sorry updates have been so erratic, and thanks so much to everyone who has continued to support this story. All the reviews, favorites and follows really inspired me to keep writing. :) [FYI: Sorry for any typos. I will get around to editing eventually, but I really wanted to post this tonight instead of waiting another week.]

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Vanille hummed cheerfully to herself as she skipped through the house, pausing to wipe down the tables with a wet cloth and rearrange the decorations so that they were each just right. Moving to the hearth, she arranged a pot of fresh white lilies in the center of the table with two thick green candles on either side. She placed trays beneath the candles, but she doubted that they would actually use them for fear of setting the flowers alight. After she straightened out the trinkets on the windowsill, Vanille walked into the sitting room and stared at the bookcase for a long time before fixing some of the books. When she was finished, she studied the room for a long time, a thoughtful look on her face as she tapped her chin trying to decide if everything looked all right.

After she was satisfied, Vanille returned to the kitchen to fix the tablecloth and reset the flower pot and candles before she leaned out the window to glance at the sundial placed in the backyard. A bright grin grew on her face as she realized that Fang would be returning home soon. The older girl had promised her that she would return on time.

Fang and Vanille had been living together for a little over a year, and Vanille was beyond pleased with her current living situation. Sharing a home with Fang felt so natural that it seemed as though the two of them had been living together for their entire lives. In a way, they actually had, for Vanille could hardly remember the years before she had moved into the orphanage and the two of them had always shared a bed, but things were different now. Living alone together, openly in love, was like a fairytale. Fang had rescued Vanille from sinking into a fearful loneliness when her parents had been taken, and ever since then the two of them had been absolutely inseparable. On top of that, they were perfect for each other.

Every time that one of them walked through the front door was a reminder that they would be together forever.

The sound of the front door swinging open resounded throughout the cozy home and by the time the door had completely opened, Vanille had already skipped into the room. She stood near the entrance with a grin on her face, watching in amusement as Fang seemed to pause for a moment before entering their home.

After waving to one of the neighbors, who had stopped Fang to tell her something, the older of the two girls finally pushed through the open door and rested her staff against the doorframe. She smiled at Vanille as she gently kicked the door shut behind her.

Her brow raised playfully, she teased, "Happy to see me?"

"Fang, I'm always happy to see you," Vanille giggled before moving forwards and throwing her arms around her.

"Well, that's good to hear." Fang's smile was warm as she embraced Vanille tightly and held the shorter girl against her. Nuzzling her cheek against the top of Vanille's head, she glanced around the room and teased, "Got everything all set for tonight? It's pretty clean."

Vanille nodded enthusiastically, burrowing into Fang's loving embrace. "All we need to do now is finish cooking. I made dessert when I got home from the jeweler's. There's a salad and some bread, too, but I didn't have time to make the soup yet."

Fang pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to Vanille's lips, smiling at her. "Well, let's get to work then. I ran into Konnor on the way back. They'll be here in about an hour."

The two of them walked into the kitchen side-by-side, arms brushing together because they lingered close. Vanille always adored the feeling of Fang's soft skin caressing hers, especially when the other girl had come from outside where it was warmer than the alleviating shade inside of the house.

Fang noticed all of the decorations that had been rearranged as she made her way into the kitchen. Grinning, she teased, "I hope it doesn't rain. You left all that stuff on the windowsills."

"Fang, don't say that," Vanille gasped, covering her cheeks with her hands. "What if it _does_ rain? That'd be terrible!"

Laughing, the dark-haired girl wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders and tugged her close, running her fingers gently up and down the silky skin of her arm. "The sky's all clear, so I don't think it'll rain."

"I hope not." Vanille opened one of the cabinets and tugged out a large put, setting it on top of the stove. Then she opened the bottom of the stove to light the firewood inside.

Fang noticed what Vanille had done and quickly poured some water into the pot, knowing that it was not a good idea to heat it while empty. Then she moved quickly around the room gathering all the ingredients that they would need for one of their favorite soups. It was a little unusual a dish to eat in the middle of the summer, but Konnor always requested that they make it after the first time that he had tried it. Fang had originally wanted to decline because she thought soup would make them too warm, but Milla had requested it as well and her cravings were becoming difficult to meet so Fang did not want to deny a request that she could actually grant the other girl.

"I still can't believe Milla's already pregnant," Fang exclaimed conversationally as she appeared at Vanille side, standing close to her as she dropped ingredients into the pot.

"Fang, she's been pregnant a long time," Vanille giggled, glancing over her shoulder. "She's only got a few months left, and the medicine woman thinks the baby will be healthy."

"I know it's been a long time, but I still can't believe it," Fang replied with a shrug and a chuckle. "Konnor was so freaked out about the idea of having a kid so soon that I thought they'd wait a few years or something. I guess that's not really how it works though..." Fang grinned and wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist from behind, murmuring playfully in her ear, "It's a good thing we don't have to worry about that. Just think how many kids we'd have by now."

Vanille giggled, blushing, "Fang, it takes nine whole months for a baby to grow."

"That's true," Fang nodded thoughtfully. Smirking, she added, "Even still, with the amount of times you crawl over to my side of the bed—"

"Fang!" Vanille protested, smiling shyly at her. "All the windows are open."

"So?" Fang grinned openly, kissing her cheek. "It's not like they don't all know about us anyway."

Vanille smiled and turned to face Fang, wrapping her arms around her waist and nuzzling against her shoulder. Frowning thoughtfully, she asked, "I know it's good that we don't have to worry about that kind of stuff, but we couldn't have kids even if we wanted to."

Fang raised her brow, resting her cheek against the top of Vanille's head. "Does that make you sad?"

"I dunno." Vanille pulled back to kiss Fang's cheek and look at her, wrapping her arms around her neck. "I like how things are right now, with the two of us alone here."

"Me, too." Fang grinned and leaned forwards to captured her lips.

Vanille leaned into their kiss, giving into her passion for a short time before pulling away with a giggle. "Fang, we're right in the middle of cooking. What if the soup burns? We've gotta be paying attention so we can stir it."

"Or we could take the soup off the stove and put it back on later. We've still got some time before they get here," Fang suggested with a faint smirk.

The younger girl shook her head and laughed lightly, since she knew that her partner was joking. Fang was most likely hungry, which meant that she would want to leave the soup on the stove, but she would never suggest that they leave the stove unattended. Neither girl would ever risk burning down the house, especially now that they had so many fond memories together in their wonderful home.

Vanille smiled at Fang, kissing her cheek, before she pulled away and turned to begin stirring the soup. Fang, feeling affectionate, restored her hold around Vanille's waist, wrapping her arms around her and resting her chin against her shoulder.

"Are you comfortable, Fang?" Vanille teased, glancing over her shoulder with a playful grin.

"Yep, pretty comfortable. Though I do think I'd be more comfortable in bed," Fang replied with a twinkle in her eye. The mood was broken when her stomach growled loudly and with a grin she added, "How long 'til the soup's done?"

"It'll be ready by the time Konnor and Milla arrive," Vanille replied with a chuckle. "There's bread and salad if you're hungry."

"I can wait for them, but it'll take them a little while to get here. Konnor has to help Milla," Fang mused as she kissed Vanille's shoulder and pulled away from her. Resting against the counter, she added, "It's too bad he can't just put her in a cart, but I guess all the bumping would be bad for the baby."

Vanille nodded gravely. "I've been talking to Matron Tania, and she said new mothers like Milla have to be really careful, especially when they're getting to the end."

"The end's gotta be the scariest part," Fang replied, a faint smile curving onto her lips. "Can you imagine pushing one of those things out of you like that? I don't understand how it happens, but I've heard the women screaming from the midwife's house."

The younger girl shivered, hugging herself. "I guess you're right. Maybe it's a good thing we can't do that."

Fang laughed lightly. "Well, a lot of girls give birth just fine, so it must be survivable."

Vanille nodded agreeably, though a sad frown covered her face. "Sometimes the baby kills the mother by accident."

Fang nodded thoughtfully before smiling wryly. "Here's an idea: Let's talk about something happy."

With a nod, Vanille murmured, "How was the hunt today?"

"Good. The same as usual. It's summer, so there's still plenty of game," Fang nodded as she braced herself against her hands. "Temion Kora climbed up a tree trying to get a critter down, but then she realized all the branches were covered in these poisonous vines none of us have seen before. She got stuck in the tree, but she didn't want to admit that she couldn't get down on her own, so she pretended she needed to rest. I could tell something was wrong, so I got Chief Torren. Kora was determined not to let us know she needed help, wanting to prove herself and all, so she pretended to keep after the critter she'd chased up the tree. Chief Torren thought she was crazy."

Vanille raised her brows. "How'd she get down?"

"Who said she did?" Fang smirked playfully. "She wouldn't come down, so we just left her there. We had no choice."

"Fang!" Vanille giggled.

"Well, she finally had to admit she was stuck," Fang explained with a chuckle as she shook her head. "Poor thing was all embarrassed, but she really couldn't get down on her own. Torren had us throw her a rope and she tied it around one of the branches. Then she just slid down."

"I'm glad she's okay." Vanille continued stirring the pot. "Kora could've been hurt badly."

"But she wasn't, so it's fine," Fang replied with a faint smile. "Anyway, the best part was when she came down the rope. She landed on her butt in the mud. For the rest of the day she walked around with this big brown stain, and whenever she sat down it left a print."

"That's terrible. I bet she was so embarrassed," Vanille replied as she tried not to look amused. "Do you think—?"

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Fang's face lit up.

Vanille smiled as she watched her partner jump away from the counter and practically race to the door to meet her friend. She and Konnor had not been able to spend as much time together now that the two of them had moved out of the orphanage. In the past, they had relied on seeing each other at dinner or after Fang returned from her hunts. Now they were both so busy with their careers that they rarely saw each other, which made every visit between the two of them a little more exciting.

As she listened to the others greeting each other by the door, Vanille checked the soup to make sure that it was warm enough and tasted good before she covered the pot, checked the fire under the stove to make sure that it was under control, and walked into the sitting room to greet Konnor and Milla at the door.

A bright smile covered her face as she examined Milla, who had grown a little bigger since the last time that the two of them had seen each other.

"It's really good to see you both," Vanille chirped, clapping her hands together before placing her hand on Milla's stomach to feel if the baby was kicking. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Milla replied happily as she looked down at her large stomach. "I'm excited for the baby. I dunno if it'll be a boy or a girl, but I want a daughter."

"A little girl would be so cute!" Vanille gasped excitedly, clapping her hands again. "As soon as the baby's born, you've gotta bring him or her over here. Babies are so cute."

Milla laughed lightly and nodded. "I promise I'll bring her as soon as she's healthy enough to leave the house."

Fang placed her hand on Konnor's shoulder as the other two continued talking. "So, how's it feel knowing you're gonna be a dad soon?"

Konnor laughed nervously. "It's kinda scary, Fang. I keep thinking, what if I screw up? What if we have the baby and I do something wrong that makes everyone get hurt? What if Milla gets hurt and I'm not there to help her?"

"Don't worry so much," Fang murmured reassuringly. "You're gonna be a great father. Besides, Auntie Fang'll always be around somewhere to help when you need it."

Konnor snorted at that. "That's not very comforting when you're usually in the woods somewhere."

"Hey, I can still hear the bells ringing halfway to the next village when something goes wrong," Fang insisted, patting his shoulder before motioning him toward the kitchen. "Now, come on. I waited for you two, but I'm starving."

"Me, too," Milla agreed as she patted her belly. "This child's appetite makes me think we'll be giving birth to a little monster."

"Hopefully it's a cute little monster then," Fang replied cheekily.

Everyone was cheerful as they walked into the kitchen, discussing what the baby might look like and trying to decide if Milla's increased appetite might imply a male child. Konnor seemed rather excited by the prospect.

"With an appetite that big, it's got to be a boy," Konnor insisted as they all sat down at the table.

Fang laughed, raising her brow at him. "Why d'you want a son so bad?"

Konnor shrugged, taking Milla's hand. "I know my wife wants a daughter, but I want my firstborn to take up my trade."

Milla smiled faintly. "Konnor, why does our firstborn have to take up your trade?"

"And what law says a girl can't be a blacksmith?" Fang added with a teasing gleam in her eyes. Feigning offense, she informed him, "I'll have you know girls can do everything boys can do."

Konnor flushed, stuttering, "Y-You're right, but I just figured most village girls wouldn't wanna do that."

Fang laughed lightly. "Relax. I'm not really offended."

"Why d'you always pretend to be?" Konnor demanded, though a faint smile grew on his features.

"Because Fang likes to tease everyone," Vanille replied as she glanced at the dark-haired girl with an affectionate smile. "She can't help it."

"Besides, even if I wasn't offended, I don't see why a girl can't be a blacksmith," Fang added with a shrug.

"I agree," Milla exclaimed, surprising them. "If I have a daughter, I want her to be a strong girl."

Fang smiled, pleased to hear that, and felt that Konnor had made the right choice in marrying her.

xxx

After the delicious dinner was finished, the group of them moved into the sitting room for desert and a sweet milky drink that Vanille had purchased in spite of how expensive it was because visiting with their closest friends was such a joyous occasion. Darkness fell while they were still sitting together and a cool breeze blew through the house, so Fang lit the fire and slid closer to Vanille, wrapping her arms around her as she shivered.

Gently, Fang asked, "Are you cold?"

Vanille nodded, snuggling against her as she wrapped her arms around her waist. "I should go get some blankets. I bet Milla needs one, too."

"I could use something to warm me up," Milla admitted with a sheepish smile. "I'd get it myself, but it'll take so long to stand back up."

"It's no trouble," Vanille assured her with a warm smile before she turned to Fang and kissed her cheek, prompting the older girl to release her so that she could tug some extra blankets out of the closet in their bedroom.

When she returned, Vanille spread one of the large blankets across Milla's lap, holding it up so that Konnor could slide beneath the blanket with her. Then she returned to her seat beside Fang and wrapped the second blanket around the two of them. She snuggled close to her love beneath the soft covers and smiled warmly as she wrapped her arms around Fang's waist.

"I wonder why it's so cold tonight," Fang commented with a frown as she peeked out the window into the darkness. "Maybe we should close the shudders?"

"Yeah, we should. I'll help," Konnor exclaimed as he hugged Milla close for a moment before releasing her. "I bet there's a storm coming in."

Fang nodded and pulled gently away from Vanille, kissing the top of her head before she followed Konnor around the house pulling all of the shudders closed. When they returned to the sitting room, Fang lit a few candles so that it was not so dark in the room before plopping down at Vanille's side once more. She wrapped her arms around the younger girl, pulling her close, and rested her cheek against the top of her head.

"Is that a little better?" Fang asked with a grin.

"Yep." Vanille smiled warmly before leaning up to peck her lips. "Thanks, Fang."

The older girl smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but her words were drowned out by the sound of the village bell tolling loudly in the distance. Fang's attention was immediately seized as she sat up a little straighter and glanced at Konnor.

"Why's the bell ringing so late at night?" Konnor inquired as he held Milla a little closer when he noticed she looked afraid.

"I dunno, but I better get out there." Fang sighed. "Something's gotta be wrong."

"Do you have to go, Fang?" Vanille pouted nervously, hugging her arm. "It's so late."

"Yep, I've gotta go," Fang nodded as she kissed Vanille's temple. "I'll come back to tell you what's going on before I go anywhere else, okay?"

Vanille nodded reluctantly, leaning forwards to gently kiss Fang's lips. "Be careful."

"I'm always careful," Fang assured her with a teasing smile before she wrapped the blanket more securely around Vanille, waved to Konnor and Milla, and bounded out the door.

Waiting for Fang was difficult to everyone, so they all distracted themselves by telling stories. Milla was dozing against Konnor's shoulder by the time that Fang returned, but the moment that the door opened, the pregnant woman opened her eyes and glanced nervously up.

Fang frowned thoughtfully at everyone, explaining, "A child's gone missing. They're putting together some search parties to go after her. I'm going, but you should all stay here. It's pretty late."

"I'll go with you, Fang," Vanille volunteered immediately, standing from the couch. "They'll need all the help they can get."

"I should go, too." Konnor frowned as he glanced at his wife. "But I don't wanna leave you here alone."

"I'll be okay," Milla insisted gently, placing her hand on his arm. "The baby won't come for a while yet. I want to help search, too, but the medicine woman said I should rest, so I'll just stay here until you get back."

Konnor nodded and leaned forward to kiss her. "I'll only look for the little girl around this area so I can come back and check on you. Let me help you lie down."

Fang and Vanille leaned close to each other, their arms brushing together as they watched Konnor gently lower Milla onto the couch from the doorway. When he embraced her tenderly for a moment, both the dark-haired girl and the pink-haired girl smiled brightly. It was clear to the two of them that Konnor and Milla were deeply in love, especially when they could not resist another quick kiss before Konnor pulled away.

"I'll blow out some of the candles before I leave so nothing catches fire," Konnor informed Fang and Vanille. "The fireplace should be okay. You two go ahead. I'll catch up later."

Vanille nodded, grinning in approval at the way that he wanted to care for Milla. "We'll see you soon."

xxx

Vanille and Fang walked briskly to the village square where they found many adults, both men and women, gathering with torches and weapons in case the child had wandered into the woods. Chief Torren was dividing everyone into groups while encouraging them to send their children back to their houses because it was dark outside and they did not want anyone else to go missing. When the village chief spotted Fang and Vanille, he beckoned the two of them toward him, telling Fang in hushed tones that he wanted her to search along the borders of the village in case the child had wandered away. He would only give a hunter such a task, but he did not want other villagers to overhear and volunteer to join her when it was so dangerous.

"Why would any child wander out of the village at night?" Vanille inquired with a frown. "It's too dangerous. Everyone knows that."

"That's what the mother said, but I don't want to take anything for granted," Chief Torren replied distractedly as he turned to keep directing others. "I'll be addressing everyone in a few minutes, so don't leave yet."

Fang nodded and she and Vanille waited for Chief Torren to explain the situation as they shivered in the unusual cold. Fang, who would not admit that she herself was also freezing, noticed how cold the younger girl seemed and wrapped her arms around her.

As they shared warmth between them, she kissed the top of her head and murmured, "You can go back to the house if you want. I dunno why it's so cold out."

"I'm not going back. I wanna find that child," Vanille exclaimed as she glanced up at the sky, which was still rather clear. "I hope a storm's not really coming. The moonlight could help us find the little one."

Fang nodded, squeezing Vanille a little more tightly. "If it's gonna storm, I hope it waits 'til after the little girl's safe and sound with her parents."

"What if no one can find her?" Vanille inquired nervously, shifting against her.

Fang looked down at her sadly as she opened her mouth to answer, but Chief Torren's booming voice interrupted before she had the chance to speak."

"We're all gathered here right now because Kun Torbela is missing," Chief Torren explained loudly, silencing everyone with the strength of his voice. "Now that we're all divided into groups and know where we're going to look, the mother is going to briefly tell us about the last time that she saw her daughter. Listen closely. The little girl's life could depend on someone figuring out where she might have gone."

Chief Torren motioned to a rather disheveled looking woman with tear stains traveling down her face. The child's father stood at his wife's side, his arm wrapped around her waist and tears filling his own eyes though he would never let them fall in front of the other villagers. Even when one's child was missing, a man in their village was not supposed to shed tears.

"T-The last time I saw my l-little Torbela..." The mother's voice was weak, breaking several times as she hiccuped and attempted to hold back her tears. "The last time I saw her, sh-she t-told me she was going to the farms to pick some f-flowers. She said she w-wanted to pick the prettiest flowers in the entire village for me." A single tear escaped, sliding gracefully down her trembling features. "Th-that was hours ago. I know I should've worried, but I-I thought she was just playing outside. When she d-didn't come home for dinner, I was s-so made, but now I just h-hate myself! Why didn't I go after her? Why did I let her go alone?"

Chief Torren placed his hand on her shoulder and nodded sadly to her husband before he turned his attention back to the group of people that had gathered. "Torbela went missing near the farms where she was picking flowers. The hunters on duty already searched the entire area but found no signs of a little girl, so we needed to widen our search with more people. Groups that know where you are going, go ahead now and look for her. Groups that are still unsure where you're going, raised your hands now so that I can come around and tell you. We don't want to lose time. If you find Torbela, hurry back and ring the village bells."

Several shouts of agreement and pledges to find the little girl rose from the crowd before everyone dispersed.

Fang immediately turned toward the northern border of the village, since she thought that was the closest limit that she could search, and resolved that she would not stop looking for the entire night until the little girl was found. However, when she noticed that Vanille was still standing in place staring thoughtfully at the ground instead of following her, she moved back to the other girl's side and placed her hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong, Vanille? Are you worried about the little girl?" Fang ran her fingers tenderly through her hair as a means of comfort. "Someone'll find her. I know it."

"I _am_ worried, but it's not that. It's something the mother said..." Vanille pursed her lips as she squeezed her eyes shut in thought.

"What're you doing?" Fang wrapped her arm around Vanille and tried to tug her in the direction they were supposed to go. "We've gotta get going."

"Just trust me," Vanille insisted, pouting. "And let me concentrate."

Fang nodded and released her, watching her cautiously for signs that everything was all right and wondering what she was thinking about. She knew that Vanille would never risk the life of a child for something trivial, so she had to trust that her partner knew what she was doing.

"Oh!" Vanille exclaimed suddenly, her eyes shooting open as a faint smile covered her features. "I remember now."

"What?" Fang raised her brow.

"I know where she is, Fang," Vanille insisted excitedly. "I know where the prettiest flowers are."

"What're you talking about?" Fang furrowed her brows. "The prettiest flowers?"

"It's what her mother said. She was looking for the prettiest flowers," Vanille replied with a faint smile. "I know where they are."

"I guess if you pick where we start looking that'll be as good as if I do, but what if she doesn't agree with you on which flowers are the prettiest?" Fang inquired with a thoughtful look.

"She will, Fang," Vanille insisted again, grabbing her love's hand and tugging her quickly in the direction of the southern edge of the village. "Everyone knows these are the prettiest flowers. It's just that no one remembers 'cause they're so worried about Torbela."

With a nod, Fang followed quickly at Vanille's side, the two of them walking for a long time and leaving the village behind to take on a maze of forest. The farther in that they walked, the more Fang wondered how often Vanille had taken this dangerous path just to see some flowers that she liked. Could Torbela really have taken the same exact path?

"I never heard of these flowers," Fang pointed out with a sigh. "They're pretty far form the village."

"You never wanted to hear about flowers, that's why," Vanille teased gently.

"Either way, I hope the little girl's not out here," Fang commented as she glanced around. "We're too far away from the village."

"I hope she is here, 'cause then we'll find her," Vanille replied gently. "It's just a little father."

The two of them finally emerged from the trees, and Fang's eyes widened, a gasp of surprise nearly escaping her lips, as she took in the field of flowers that seemed to spread across miles. She had never seen flowers quite like the ones in front of her, giant red and black spotted petals easily the size of a man's hand stood on stems that were more like the thick stalks of corn. There was no way that they would be able to find the little girl without calling her name, but that would be dangerous in the middle of the night.

"How'd you know this place was here?" Fang inquired as she glanced at Vanille. "Did you used to come here a lot?"

"I still do." Vanille frowned sheepishly. "I never picked the flowers 'cause I thought you'd be mad that I came out here alone."

"I'm not mad, just worried," Fang replied gently, wrapping her arm around the smaller girl's waist as she searched the surrounding area with her eyes. "I don't think we'd be able to find her even if she was here."

"She won't have gone too far in. The flowers are covered in thorns," Vanille informed her gently. "You search on that side of the clearing and I'll look on the other side. If one of us finds her, we'll have to shout for the other one to hear."

"That's a great idea," Fang nodded. "That way all the nasty critters in the woods can get to you before I do."

Vanille pouted, hugging her. "Is there another way?"

"I'll wave my staff in the air," Fang replied with a faint smile. "you can shoot your binding rod upwards, but don't get yourself all tangled up."

Vanille nodded, smiling faintly at the metal image that accompanied Fang's statement, and exclaimed, "Let's hurry, okay? I don't wanna stay out here long. It's scary in the dark."

"Right." Fang nodded. "Let's go."

Vanille felt nervous after she and Fang split up, but she was determined to find Torbela and certain that the little girl had to be somewhere near the flowers. Knowing that they could be Torbela's only hope, she resolved not to let her own fear make her search less carefully, so she pushed away all of her doubts and vulnerability and immediately began pushing the stalks aside and peering through, looking for any evidence that a person had been there. Almost an hour passed as she continued her search, and she occasionally glanced up to make sure that Fang was not waving her staff in the air.

Eventually she realized that she must have covered every single part of her side of the field without venturing through the stalks and she knew that she had to give up. Her eyes vainly searched the air one last time, for she desperately wanted to see a signal from Fang. When there was none, she decided to backtrack and find her love on her own. The forest was becoming more frightening with every moment and her failure to find Torbela weighed on her.

A rustling in the woods behind her caused her to spin around with wide, fearful eyes, her fingers gripping the hilt of her binding rod rather tightly. Vanille considered calling out to Fang, but then she decided against it in case whatever was nearby did not know that she was there. Any movement could cause the creature in the woods to discover her presence and attempt to eat her, so she resolved to remain completely quiet and wait. It was then that a strange noise came to her attention. It was more of a grunting whimper than a growl, and it was coming from behind her, not from the darkness of the forest in front of her.

Vanille turned her back on the forest line and closed her eyes, listening more carefully as her heart began to race. Her breath evened out and her senses were extended, allowing her to clearly hear the sound of a child struggling.

Her eyes immediately snapped open as she realized that she must have found Torbela after all, and from the sounds of it she was injured. Heedless of her own safety, Vanille immediately began to push through the thorny stalks of the flowers, ignoring the way that her arms were scratched. In the darkness of the night, everything was disorienting, so it took her at least fifteen more minutes of searching to follow the sound that seemed to echo through the stalks before she finally stumbled upon the huddled, shivering form of a brown-haired little girl who appeared to have tried to drag herself out of the flowers.

"Kun Torbela?" Vanille inquired when the little girl jumped.

Torbela's eyes filled with tears as she stared up at her. "A-are you here to t-take me home?"

Vanille nodded, her heart breaking for the terrified little girl as she immediately fell at her side. "Where are you hurt?"

"It's my l-leg. I-I fell down." Torbela, who could be no older than seven, immediately began to sob in agony. "I-It really hurts. I-I waited for a really long time, but no one came to help me. I knew I hadta go back to the village, but it hurts. Call my grandpa. He's a medicine man!"

"I'll call him," Vanille assured her gently, running her fingers through the little girl's hair to comfort her before she turned away and shot the tendrils of her binding rod into the air.

As she turned back to Torbela, Vanille hoped that Fang would be able to find them so deep in the flowers.

"I'm really sc-scared," Torbela cried sadly.

"It'll be okay," Vanille murmured gently, still tenderly tracing her fingers through her hair. "Why don't you lie down? I'll stay with you until your grandpa gets here."

"What if this is just a dream? What if I wake up and you're gone?" Torbela cried, petrified. "Please, don't leave me!"

"I'm not gonna go anywhere, I promise." Vanille helped her lie down flat on the ground. "Does anything hurt besides your leg?"

Torbela shook her head, her voice quivering. "W-Will you hold my hand?"

Vanille nodded, smiling faintly as she took her hand and squeezed it. "Yun Fang is on her way. Do you know who she is?"

Nodding, the little girl explained, "My grandpa says she's a really strong hunter."

"That's true," Vanille explained gently. "Fang's really strong, and she's a very fast runner. As soon as she gets here, she's gonna run back to the village and get your mom and dad and your grandpa, okay?"

"Do you promise?" Torbela pouted as a look of pain came over her features. "It really hurts."

"Don't try to move your leg. Just lie still," Vanille warned gently, touching her cheek. "I'd look at your leg, but I'm not a medicine woman. I don't wanna hurt you more."

Torbela nodded and continued crying.

"My names Vanille." The pink-haired girl forced a pleasant smile. "Do you remember meeting me before? I saw you in the jeweler's shop."

"R-Really?"

"Yep." A warm grin crossed her features. "You wanted to get that really pretty necklace with all the white and purple beads, but your mommy said it was too expensive. Do you remember?"

"Uh huh. I remember now." Torbela nodded enthusiastically, tears still trickling down her face. "I was really sad 'cause it was so expensive, but the nice jeweler lady said she'd lower the price just for me 'cause I was so pretty."

Vanille smiled brightly. "I didn't get a good look at you in the shop, but now I understand. You are really pretty. Do you wear the necklace a lot?"

Mommy says I can only wear it during special occasions 'cause I can't lose it or get it dirty," Torbela explained, her voice still quivering. "Did you make the necklace?"

"Not that one, but I do make a lot of jewelry. I wanna have my own shop someday," Vanille informed her with a smile, still stroking her hair as she unconsciously glanced around for Fang. "What do you wanna do when you grow up?"

"I dunno yet." Torbela pouted thoughtfully. "I kinda wanna be a jeweler, too. It sounds really fun."

Vanille laughed lightly at that. "It's a lot of work, but it _is_ fun."

When Fang finally reached the two of them, Vanille silently signaled to her that she thought the little girl's leg was broken, which prompted Fang to immediately tell them that she was running to the village to get Kun Ecko and would return with him shortly.

Vanille felt a little relieved when she heard the village bell tolling loudly and knew that the hunters and search parties would all return to the center of the village. She did her best to tell Torbela as many stories as possible to get the girl to talk about happy things so that she could forget her pain and discomfort. It was clear during the length of their conversations that Torbela was still in a good deal of pain, but she at least was not panicking.

Around half an hour later, several of the little girl's family members raced onto the scene.

Kun Ecko dropped at his granddaughter's side and motioned for her mother and father to sit with her and keep her comfortable while he examined her leg. Vanille patted Torbela's head before pulling away to give her family members room. Then she moved to stand with Fang and Chief Torren a few paces away.

"I'll see if Ecko needs any help setting her leg," Chief Torren mumbled before nodding respectfully to the rescuers and moving to crouch at the injured girl's side.

Vanille winced and looked away as Ecko began to split the little girl's leg. She closed her eyes when Torbela cried out in pain and hugged herself.

Fang, noticing that Vanille was upset, wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her close. "You were good with her."

Pleased by the distraction, Vanille turned to Fang with a faint smile. "I just wanted to help. She was so scared."

"She's lucky you knew about these flowers," Fang exclaimed as she wrapped her other arm around Vanille and pulled her closer. Kissing her cheek, she mumbled close to her ear, "I'm glad you were with me. I don't think I could've kept her so calm, and it's good we didn't move her. Ecko said the break could be serious, so we might've hurt her."

Vanille nodded, nuzzling against her and turning to glance at the family again. Torbela was still in a lot of pain, but she was smiling with relief as she hugged both her mother and father tightly.

"I can't imagine how scary it must be to lose your little girl like that," Vanille commented gently, sighing as she watched them. A faint smile graced her features. "Look how much they all love each other."

Fang raised her brow and smiled playfully. "You'd like to have something like that, wouldn't you?"

"I dunno." Vanille smiled shyly. "It might be nice...someday. If there was ever an orphan, we could always..."

"If you like orphans a lot, you could always become a matron," Fang interrupted teasingly.

"Fang!" Vanille whined, smiling faintly. "I just meant it might be nice to have a family someday."

"I know." Fang laughed lightly, squeezing her apologetically. "I just can't help myself."

Vanille grinned and snuggled into Fang's embrace, wrapping her arms around her waist and hugging her closer. She rested her cheek against Fang's chest, comforted by the feeling of the other girl's heart beating steadily beneath her warm skin, and decided that life was perfect as long as she had Fang.

Fang grinned down at Vanille, kissing her brow as she mumbled, "They're heading back now, so let's go. We can always cuddle in the house where it's warm."

With a small smile, Vanille nodded and took Fang's hand. The two of them followed the grateful family back to the village where everyone celebrated Torbela's safe return.

xxx

Fang dropped yet another bundle of flowers onto one of many wooden tables that had been set up behind the orphanage and wiped the sweat from her brow. She had volunteered to help set up for one of the orphanage festivals, she had not thought that it would be so much work. As a child, she had never considered how much preparation went into a single event, but carrying everything from bundles of flowers to large tables into the courtyard behind the orphanage had shown her that she should have appreciated the matrons a bit more as a young girl.

"Are you getting tired, Fang?" Vanille teased as she stood from another bench to begin unwinding a bundle of flowers. "If you wanna take a break from carrying things, I bet you could help us make wreaths out of flowers."

Fang wrinkled her nose. "Do you want the wreaths to look good?"

Vanille giggled at that. "You used to help me make them, and they always looked good. Besides, I think we've got enough flowers, but there are still a lot more wreaths to make. The festival will start in a few hours."

"Are you sure you need my help?" Fang glanced over her shoulder at some of the matrons and a few men that they had enlisted to help them as they carried in heavy boxes of decorations and began to set up. "I really think they could use my help."

"Okay." Vanille smiled warmly and walked around the table to kiss Fang's cheek. "I just thought you were tired."

The older girl shook her head, a warm smile flitting across her features. "It's just hot out this morning. Go ahead and finish making those wreaths."

Vanille nodded and waved to her. "When you're done helping, come sit with me."

Fang promised that she would and then found Head Matron Solstice to ask what else she could help her carry.

Hours later, all the wreaths were made and all the food was prepared. The decorations were hung, and many of the orphanage children had already begun to trickle into the party. A lot of them brought friends who did not live in the orphanage as well. Fang was glad to see that many of the young ones looked well-adjusted and happy to be celebrating with their friends. Fang had always had rather strong feelings about the fact that so many people in the village lost their parents to accidents or worse, the Cocoon fal'Cie, so initially she had thought seeing so many young people without families would upset her. However, the celebration was rather successful, leaving her feeling pleased that she had helped.

Everyone who had helped set up was invited to remain at the party, so Vanille and Fang spent a long time mingling with friends who were still living in the orphanage and getting to know some of the younger children. Fang noticed with a warm smile that Vanille spent a lot of time with the youngest of the orphans and she recalled the way that her partner had spoken of someday wanting the two of them to have a family. Vanille did seem to do really well with children, especially because it seemed like she could relate to them very well. The most important part was that the children could tell that she was genuinely interested in hearing about their lives and what they liked to do in their free time.

Eventually, Vanille plopped onto a bench with Fang and the two of them linked hands under the table as they waited for the matrons to announce that the food was to be served.

"Did you enjoy chatting with all the kids?" Fang inquired with a faint smile.

Vanille nodded enthusiastically. "They're all so sweet."

"See any you wanna kidnap?" Fang teased, her grin widening.

"Fang," Vanille protested with a pout, "I said I wanted a family, not that I was going to steal a little one."

"I know," Fang laughed lightly, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "Sorry. I just think you're so cute."

The pink-haired girl grinned brightly. "Really?"

Fang nodded, placing a light kiss on her temple.

Vanille bit her lip shyly and looked at the ground. "Would you...ever want a family? You didn't say anything before other than joking."

Fang ran her fingers gently through Vanille's hair, closing her eyes for a moment as she thought about it. "I dunno. I think kids are cute, and I bet I'd get really protective if I had one of my own. I'm not against the idea."

The younger girl smiled at that and wrapped her arms around Fang's waist. "I bet we'd be a really cute family. You'd be all protective and the kids would think you were so cool 'cause you're a hunter."

"Now there's more than one kid?" Fang teased lightly.

"I dunno." Vanille grinned shyly. "Maybe."

"Imagine what our kids would be like," Fang exclaimed with a chuckle. "Freakishly strong pranksters who like hunting and making jewelry."

Vanille burst into giggles as she thought about it. "What if we had a daughter who was really girly and didn't ever want to hunt?"

Fang shrugged and smirked, teasing, "What if we had a son who was really girly and never wanted to hunt? With you for a mother, he might get the idea that running's the best choice no matter what the situation."

"Running _is_ the best choice no matter what the situation unless someone you love is in danger," Vanille insisted with a faint smile. "Besides, with a mother like you he'd think it was fine to poison his best friend's dinner with horrible herbs."

"Hey, no one got hurt," Fang replied with a grin as she hugged Vanille more tightly. "If we do plan on having a family, maybe we should wait a while to work out the kinks, hm?"

Vanille nodded enthusiastically, grinning because she loved the way that the two of them still teased and cared so deeply for each other. "I think we'd be great parents, Fang. I hope we are someday."

Fang smiled warmly at the prospect of having a family. She had never really given the idea of having children any thought, but when there were so many orphans in the village and adoption was definitely a possibility, raising a child actually sounded like it could be fun. However, she was certain that she wanted to wait at least a few years. While most girls her age were married and had a child or two, she thought that she was definitely too young for something like that and Vanille was even younger. It was better to wait, but she was definitely not against the idea.

"Fang," Vanille exclaimed suddenly, poking her in the side and nodding her head in a different direction. "Look over there!"

Fang snapped out of her thoughts and raised her head to follow Vanille's gaze. She raised her brow when she saw a group of children playing a small game of rice ball and murmured, "What am I looking at?"

"Not the rice ball. Look at the two girls over there," Vanille murmured quietly, risking pointing with her index finger so that Fang would look in the correct direction.

The dark-haired girl followed the line of her finger and her eyes widened for a moment before a grin broke across her face. Two young teenagers, most likely living in the orphanage, were holding hands and giggling to each other as they snuck into the woods. Just before they disappeared into the trees, the two of them glanced around wildly, faces flushed, to make sure that no one was watching them.

Fang smiled warmly and glanced at Vanille. "That was us not long ago."

"I know," Vanille replied with a pleased look. "I think maybe it helps that we're so open. Other people see us and realize it's okay."

"Then we should keep being as open as possible," Fang suggested with a grin before nodding her head toward a fire pit where children and adults alike were all dancing to each other. "What d'you say?"

Vanille beamed happily. "Fang, I'd love to dance. We never got to when we were younger."

Fang took Vanille's hand and helped her off of the bench unexpectedly tugging her into her arms and hugging her close. With a warm grin, she murmured in her ear, "I still wanna dance, but let's just stay this way for a second. We never got to do this here either."

Vanille giggled, snuggling against Fang, and murmured, "What if we'd known we didn't have to hide it?"

Grinning suggestively, Fang murmured, "Our roommates would've had a surprise."

Vanille giggled, flushing. "Fang!"

xxx

Vanille awoke from a nightmare completely alone and particularly cold. She pulled the covers tightly around herself, frowning as she thought about the dream that she had had, and mused that she preferred when Fang returned home from her hunts before she awoke so that she did not have to sleep by herself in an empty house. At that very moment, she heard something on the other side of the house and stiffened, her eyes searching through the darkness. Relief flooded her as she realized what must have awoken her in the first place.

Fang had just returned home.

The older of the two girls tip-toed into the bedroom, moving nearly silently toward the dresser until she heard movement and realized that Vanille was awake. Smiling apologetically, she murmured, "Sorry if I woke you."

"It's okay," Vanille replied with a faint smile as she sat up. "I was having a nightmare anyway. How was your hunt?"

"The same as usual," Fang replied casually as she began changing into her nightclothes. Looking concerned, she prompted, "You had a nightmare?"

Vanille nodded, lowering her eyes. "In my dream, Chief Torren came to tell me you weren't coming back. He said you ran into a King Behemoth and..."

As Vanille's voice began to break even at the thought of losing her, Fang frowned sympathetically and crossed the room to sit on the bed with her. Wrapping her arms tightly around the smaller girl, she promised, "That's never gonna happen. My first hunt alone was a coming-of-age thing. We never go out by ourselves after that. The teams're always big enough even to fight a King Behemoth. In fact, we took one of those suckers out the other day."

"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened with surprise.

"Well, not quite, but we did all get away safely," Fang replied with a light chuckle. "Now, are you gonna move over or not? I'm cold."

Vanille grinned smugly and shook her head. "You were teasing me, so you have to sleep on the couch. I'm not moving over."

"Oh, really?" Fang smirked for a moment before pouncing. She was careful not to harm Vanille in any way as she landed right on not of her.

Vanille squeaked in surprise and giggled as she relaxed back against the mattress. "I didn't think you'd do that."

"Oh, I'm full of surprises," Fang replied teasingly as she leaned forwards and kissed her cheek, shifting her weight so that she was not putting any pressure on her.

"You're always teasing me," Vanille commented with a grin as she brushed Fang's hair out of her eyes.

"I can't help the way I was born," Fang replied with a smirk.

Vanille laughed at that and ran her fingers through Fang's messy hair, murmuring emotionally, "I missed you. How come hunting takes so long?"

"'Cause we're so careful," Fang replied as she propped herself up at the elbows and leaned forwards to capture Vanille's lips. As she pulled back, she admitted, "I missed you, too. I always do."

Vanille smiled brightly at her before exclaiming, "By the way, since you're home, two of the kitchen chairs are broken. Konnor and Milla were here and Konnor broke them chasing little Darin around the house."

Fang snorted with laughter. "I wish I'd been here to see that. Darin's pretty active for a baby."

The pink-haired girl agreed. "Milla says that she loves how much spirit he has, but it's really exhausting to chase him around the house."

"I bet it is," Fang nodded agreeably. "So, did you talk to the carpenter about the chairs?"

"I wanted you to do it since you're friends with his son-in-law," Vanille replied with a shrug. "I figured since you're home now..."

"Oh, yeah?" Fang replied with a chuckle before leaning forwards and kissing along the younger girl's jawline. As Vanille's breath hitched and she shifted underneath her, Fang teased, "D'you think it can wait until morning?"

"I dunno. Are you too tired to talk to him now?" Vanille joked, giggling to herself.

"Not really tired," Fang replied as she leaned forwards and grinned at her.

"Then why can't you go now?" Vanille teased with a smile, leaning forwards and pecking Fang's lips.

"'Cause I'm busy right now," Fang replied promptly, grinning at her before she leaned forwards to capture her lips.

Vanille obliged, leaning into the passionate kiss as she remembered that she had not seen Fang for almost an entire week and she had missed her more than ever after the nightmares that she had begun to have. Their kisses continued for a long time, giving way to gentle caresses as they allowed their passion to carry them away.

A while later the two of them lay together, skin pressed to silky skin, each catching their breath as they cuddled close. Fang wrapped her arms around Vanille and rested her head in the crook of her neck, causing Vanille to hug her close and run her fingers through her messy hair.

"I missed you a lot, Fang," Vanille murmured gently as she kissed the top of her head.

"I missed you, too," Fang repeated as she kissed the base of her neck. "The main hunting season'll be over soon. Then I won't be gone as much."

"I'm really glad," Vanille told her with a faint smile as she pressed her cheek against her forehead. "I don't like sleeping alone. At least during the other seasons you're only gone during the day."

Fang nodded, nuzzling against her as she closed her eyes. "We should go to sleep."

Vanille nodded, hugging her closer. "I wanna stay like this forever."

Grinning, the older girl pulled back to prop herself up at the elbows and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Good, 'cause we will."

"We'll never leave this bed again?" Vanille inquired with a playfully raised brow.

"Nope. Never again," Fang joked, smiling lovingly at her as she hugged her around the waist and turned them over so that Vanille was resting against her. Running her fingers up and down her back, she murmured seriously, "We'll be together forever, Vanille, no matter what happens."

Vanille bit her lip. "Do you promise?"

"'Course I do," Fang laughed softly, lifting her chin so that the younger girl would look into her eyes. "I already told you I'd never leave you behind."

A grin crossing her face, Vanille leaned forwards and pressed a lingering kiss to Fang's lips, sighing happily as they pressed against each other. When she pulled away, she rested against Fang and snuggled into her embrace. "Okay. Let's go to sleep."

With a nod, Fang held her close, still running her fingers up and down her back, and made sure that she was comfortable before mumbling, "G'night."

Silence fell over the two of them as their breath evened out, and Fang began to sink into her dreams, her entire body relaxing.

"Fang?"

"Yeah?" Fang murmured sleepily, only partially roused.

"I love you," Vanille whispered gently as she kissed her cheek.

Fang felt a grin lighting her features. "I love you, too."

xxx

Life together was so enjoyable that time seemed to race by quickly and before either girl knew it, they had been living together for two years. Fang had recently turned twenty and Vanille would be eighteen soon after. The house was lovely and well-kept, both girls working hard to make sure that they made repairs promptly and whenever necessary and keeping the house as clean as possible. Vanille liked to change the decorations seasonally and keep the house particularly lovely because whenever Fang went away on long hunts she would invite many guests over for dinner or to spend several hours with her so that she had to be alone as little as possible. The fun that she usually had with friends who she had known since she was young and all the new friends that she had made generally made the days pass more quickly so that it did not seem like Fang had been gone for a long time at all. Vanille could not imagine what it would be like to be separated from Fang without the villagers to keep her company.

When Fang was not on hunting trips, the two of them spent as much time together as their careers would allow, Fang usually cleaning and fixing her weapons while Vanille sat at her side making different kinds of jewelry, mostly bracelets, necklaces and belts made of the loveliest beads and jewels that she could afford on her salary as the jeweler's assistant. When they were tired of working, Fang and Vanille would put away their things and cuddle together in their bed, usually reading or playing games. They both spent a lot of time with Konnor, Milla, and their young son Darin, serving as aunts to the young boy and babysitting him when Milla's family members were busy.

Overall, life over the past two years had been very happy for the two Gran Pulsian girls. In spite of the danger of Fang's hunts and the fear that eventually the Cocoon fal'Cie would swallow up their village and tear their world out from under them, Vanille felt that all of her dreams had come true, her wishes having been granted. All she had ever truly wanted was to be able to live happily with Fang, and that desire had finally played out for her.

Occasionally, Vanille did fear that one day Fang would leave her to attack the vipers in the sky, for the older they became, the more the other girl complained that if Anima was not going to protect them, then someone would have to take matters into their own hands. However, Vanille was always able to dispel her anger, comforting her and showing her that even in fear, life in the village of Oerba was wonderful. Although one day a time of danger and sadness might come, Vanille was determined to live every day to the fullest and she knew that Fang felt the same way on many levels.

For a time, life was absolutely perfect, filled with days and nights that were spent in complete love and happiness.


	19. Epilogue

Epilogue

Author's Note: Here is the final installment of The Simple Life. It won't be my last Fanille story, but I'm glad to finally be able to post the last chapter. I posted two chapters tonight, so make sure you didn't miss Chapter Seventeen. Thank you so much to everyone who has read and supported this story. All of your reviews, PMs, favorites and follows really inspired me to keep writing the story and made me so happy. You're all really awesome! :) I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: If I owned FFXIII, I assure you that there would be no question as to whether or not Fang x Vanille is canon. Enough said, I think.

Fang came out of her memories with a sigh and ignored the constricted feeling that developed in her chest. Those days had been wonderful, and she missed everyone so much, especially Konnor. If only she and Vanille could return to those happy days when they had not soon realized that their world would come crashing down upon them. When Fang had left to attack Anima in the temple, Fang had thought that she would probably never see the woman she loved again. Instead, Vanille had followed her, saving her life, and the two of them had been branded as Pulse l'Cie and given a dangerous mission. Their lives had changed forever from that moment, because they had been forced to accept their focus or turn into Cie'th.

Even worse, returning to the memories of the good days had reminded her once again that everyone she loved was gone. She and Vanille were headed toward a graveyard at best.

The sound of faint footsteps behind her stirred her from her thoughts.

"Couldn't sleep?" Fang inquired with a sigh.

Vanille shook her head, a troubled look coming over her features as she sat at Fang's side and rested her head against her shoulder. "What're you thinking about?"

"The past," Fang admitted, smiling faintly at her as she tried to disguise her misery.

Vanille hugged her arm and smiled. "You mean before we became l'Cie?"

Fang nodded, resting her head against the top of Vanille's. "Before we left Oerba."

Vanille grinned happily. "I miss those days."

"Me, too." Fang frowned, her brows furrowing.

"But it's okay that we're not there anymore," Vanille exclaimed with a faint smile, trying to remain positive, pulling back to look at her. "As long as we're together, I don't care. We'll complete our focus, Fang, and even if we go back into the crystals, we can be together forever."

Fang smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around Vanille, hugging the surprised girl closer and holding her tightly. "I'm glad we're together again. I was so worried..."

Vanille snuggled against her, her arms wrapping tightly around Fang's waist. "No matter what happens, we'll be together forever. Right?"

"Yeah, we will." Fang pressed her cheek to the top of Vanille's head and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair.

Fang had known it already, but as she held Vanille in her arms, she realized another time that she could not live without the woman wrapped in her arms. No matter what had happened throughout her life, she had always thought about Vanille. Every action had been meant to help or protect Vanille in some way. Now her only mission could be to rescue Vanille from becoming a Cie'th. She could care less about Cocoon or Gran Pulse as long as her love was safe. Even the others were less important to her, no matter how she came to like them. It was her responsibility, especially because it was her fault that Vanille had been branded in the first place.

Her only comfort was that if Vanille had not been turned, she never would have seen her again. The two of them were still together, and that was a gift no matter how it had come to be.

Vanille pulled away and kissed Fang's cheek. "Don't think about sad things, okay? We're together now, so everything's fine."

Fang smiled apologetically, tucking Vanille's hair behind her ears and tenderly stroking her face. "Sorry. I just wish we could go back. We could have lived our lives there. We could've been happy."

"You dunno what would've happened if we didn't become l'Cie," Vanille corrected gently, tracing her fingers down Fang's cheek. "Neither of us can ever know, so we shouldn't think about it."

Fang nodded, leaning forwards to capture Vanille's lips, kissing her with desperate passion beneath the cradle of stars. She did not mind that the others were sleeping nearby, because she and Vanille had scarcely had a moment to themselves since they had been reunited and she still had not completely gotten over worrying about her.

Eventually they pulled away from each other and Vanille breathed in deeply before nestling her head against Fang's shoulder. It did not take long for her to fall asleep in Fang's arms.

A while later, another set of footsteps approached from behind. Fang tensed and glanced over her shoulder, but she relaxed when she realized it was just Lightning.

"Your watch is over." The ex-soldier seated herself on a log across from Fang and glanced curiously at Vanille. "You can both go back with the others."

Fang nodded and gently shook Vanille awake. The younger girl stood groggily and followed Fang back to their sleeping bag, looking pleased when Fang wrapped her arm around her waist to help her walk because she was not completely awake. They only had one sleeping bag between the two of them, so they slipped inside together and clung close, Fang pulling Vanille against her and holding her tightly with the same desperation.

Vanille smiled brightly and pressed against her, whispering gently, "Let's promise never to be apart after this."

Fang nodded and kissed her cheek, holding her tightly. "I won't leave you behind again."

"I hope that's a promise, 'cause I'm still mad at you," Vanille joked, giggling.

Her dark-haired companion snickered quietly and buried her face in her hair.

"I'm serious," Vanille insisted even though she was not actually. "You said you were gonna come find me, but you waited 'til I got captured to come after me."

"I tried looking for you," Fang grumbled, kissing her cheek just below the ear. "It's not my fault you went and got yourself purged."

Giggling again, Vanille wrapped her arms around Fang's waist and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. As she pulled away, she murmured, "Let's call it even?"

"I'll think about it," Fang replied with a smirk as she snuggled closer to her.


End file.
